In a Previous history card, I've talked about the events that lead up to the Boston Massacre, here we will go into more deals on the trials that took place after the event of 1770; here is the Boston Massacre Trials from Story of America: The Revolution.

(What were the Boston Massacre trials?)

The Boston Massacre trials are part of the aftermath to what happened on March 5th 1770, and where John Adams and Josiah Quincy defended the British soldiers charged in the incident....(I think I can skip the rest for this section and let the card explain the rest, as you should already have some information about the Boston Massacre, in a video on the Boston Massacre that explains more, go check it out if interested).

(British Soldiers Defended)

On March 5th 1770, Captain Thomas Preston and eight members of his British regiment stationed in Boston, Massachusetts, fired into a crowd of angry citizens, killing five men. Preston and his men were defended in the ensuing trials by prominent American lawyers; John Adams and Josiah Quincy.

Many historians have since questioned how and why these two men came to defend such unpopular figures. Adams later claimed it was because he and Quincy were the only lawyers in Boston who were willing to handle the cases. Other evidence suggests that Samuel Adams (John's cousin), a leader of the radical Sons of Liberty group, had engineered the defense.

After all, with Boston's two most able and honest lawyers arguing in behalf of the accused, no one could claim the two trials (one for Preston, the other for his men) had been unfairly handled.

The prosecutors assigned to trials were Robert Treat Paine and Samuel Quincy, Josiah's Brother (Me: well the drama is starting). Captain Perston's trial did not commence until September 7th, by which time, Paul Revere's widely distributed engraving, showing peaceful citizens being shot down on the street by British soldiers, had become firmly fixed in the public minds.

Preston was therefore even more difficult to defend, especially when several witnesses testified they had heard Preston give the order to fire. Too many discrepancies in these eyewitness accounts arose, however, and Preston was acquitted.

Adams and Quincy began the second trial, of the soldiers, by excluding from the jury anyone who lived in Boston. This eliminated persons who might sympathize with the street mob and feel pressured into returning a verdict of guilty.

More witnesses swore that the crowd had been "standing orderly and making no outcry" just prior to the incident.

Finally, Quincy addressed the jurors with an emotional appeal designed to stir their consciences, break down their prejudices, and open their minds to the facts. Adams followed by painting for jurors a vivid picture of how the crowd had provoked the attack by soldiers. (Which when reading the history you can see this massacre could have actually been avoided, if the soldiers were not provoked, say what you want but I'm actually agreeing with John Admas on this).

Six of the British soldiers were acquitted and the other two were found guilty of manslaughter. These two pleaded an ancient English legal device known as "benefit of clergy", which required merely that they read or recite from memory a biblical verse and that they be branded on the thumb.

(Ending)

I don't really have a bonus entity for this one, but I'd recommend the video/script made recently talking about the Boston massacre if you wish to have more details, anyhow that's all and bye see you next.