On March 5, 1770, after being harassed for two years during their occupation of Boston, British soldiers finally lost control, firing into a mob of rioting Americans, killing several of them, including Crispus Attucks, a runaway slave and sailor, the first African American patriot killed. The aftermath of this 'massacre' led to what was eventually the American Revolution. The importance of the event grew, as it was used for political purposes, to stoke the fires of rebellion in the colonists and to show the British in the most unflattering light.

Part I: Context Introduction: With Blood "Running Like Water" Part II: Documents 1 American Rights Asserted 2 London's Response 3 A Governor's Lament 4 A Bostonian's Protest 5 Parliament's Frustrations with Massachusetts 6 Unintimidated Massachusetts Legislators 7 A British Soldier's Complaint 8 A Martyr is Made 9 A Most Shocking Scene 10 Revere's Rendering 11 Hutchinson Under Pressure 12 Gage Reports to Hillsborough 13 Preston Pleads His Case to Pitt 14 Boston Counters Preston 15 Gage's Hands Tied 16 An Eyewitness Account 17 Coroner's Inquest for Crispus Attucks 18 Grand Jury Indictment 19 A Short Narrative 20 A Fair Account 21 Additional Observations 22 Town Leaders and the Battle for Public Opinion 23 The Soldiers' Appeal for a Single Trial 24 Questions About the Court Record 25 A Judge's Directions to Jurors 26 The Short Narrative View Reaffirmed 27 The Trial Outcomes Defended 28 Annual Commemoration 29 A Problematical Reminiscence 30 Monument to the Fallen 31 A More Balanced View