Boston Massacre Propaganda

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The English colonies in what is now the United States of America started off (after quite a rough start) as a burgeoning commercial enterprise, something to be used to grow the wealth of the crown as well as compete against England’s European rivals, France and Spain, in the rush to grab territory in the so called ‘New World’. After much expected conflict with Spain, France, and even the population of natives, England found itself in a perilous position: disorder and inefficiency in the colonies. In order to maintain order and end corruption, the crown placed troops in the colonies, specifically the city of Boston, where the infamous Boston Massacre took place. Though we may never know the exact truths of what took place on the night of the massacre, it is clear that after the event took place it was exaggerated and used as a propaganda by revolutionaries such as Paul Revere in order to incite anger and rebellion throughout the colonies. The most important trove of information regarding the massacre can be …show more content…

It is common knowledge that Paul Revere played a part in the America revolution, and therefore we could call him a revolutionary. If he had heard of this event taking place, it seems logical for him to present the version of the retellings that suited his cause best and then recreated that version through this piece of art. If a well known man such as Revere was broadcasting such provocative news to the people of the colonies, it was sure to get attention. By spreading around this version of events, it is easy to see how the colonists could get riled up about the perceived brutality of the English troops stationed throughout many cities in the colonies. The way in which Revere ‘retold’ the events of the Boston Massacre was fear-mongering and meant to incite revolution and rebellion, and it was successful in doing

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