"The Boston Massacre: A Family History" by Serena Zabin

296 pages, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ©2020

The Boston Massacre. Americans, especially those in Boston have heard the story of that March night where colonists were harassing and shouting at British soldiers. After moments of hurling insults and objects at the regulars, shots were fired into the crowd, killing five men and wounding six. The event is discussed as early as elementary school, and millions of people have seen the engraving that shows British troops firing on an innocent, unarmed crowd of civilians.

The Boston Massacre. What Really Happened?

Over the centuries, there have been new facts and information as to what perpetrated the event. Colonists, especially The Sons of Liberty wasted no time in framing propaganda for their narrative. We have learned of shouting, hurling objects into the air, and ultimately firing into a crowd of people hurling objects and insults at the unwelcome British soldiers.

What a lot of people don't realize is that the British soldiers were involved in the community in more ways than just patrolling the streets day and night. The regulars were woven into society's fabric in many different ways. This community of civilians and soldiers is the focus of Serena Zabin's "The Boston Massacre: A Family History".

"A Family History" looks at the city of Boston leading up to the night of March 5. Before that fateful evening, British soldiers and Boston civilians lived together in a delicate, uneasy cohabitation. The interaction between the two factions weren't just limited to publick houses and ale houses. Soldiers and citizens intermingled at church, attending weddings and baptisms. Ties and allegiances went beyond regiments and divisions. British soldiers met future friends and relatives through everyday occurrences. Some soldiers were even hired out by local shopkeepers and business owners. Everyone was looking for a little extra money, and everyone was looking for a little extra help.

"'THE BLOODY MASSACRE: Perpetuated in King Street, Boston on March 5, 1770 by a party of the 29th Regt.' Now the title emphasized the gore, the central square, and, mosto of all, the the guilty. Now it told exactly the story (Paul) Revere wanted, the narrative of the Boston Massacre that would endure for centuries." - "The Boston Massacre: A Family History"

Uneasy Peace

Boston Citizens, especially the Patriots, tried to live their daily lives as best they could despite the soldiers infiltrating their businesses, homes, and even families. Soldiers who kept post day and night dealt with threats and insults on duty and enjoyed friendship and companionship off duty. Some soldiers met women they would eventually marry, moving into neighborhoods and becoming a part of the community.

It was no secret the British Army was an unwelcome sight in Boston, Massachusetts, but things took an ugly turn on March 5, 1770. On that night, soldiers on guard in the streets found themselves faced with a mob who had enough of the King's soldiers in their city. As tensions and words escalated, the cold night air was soon pierced by gunshots. Instead of focusing on what or who was responsible for the result, Zabin instead looks at the underlying bonds within the community that were forged in prior days despite the differing opinions of the British Army landing and camping in Boston. Her book looks at the soldiers and private citizens as human beings who experience the inevitable interaction that happens when people share the same town and neighborhoods.

"Individual connections did not necessarily translate into an easy acceptance across the military-civilian divide. While sharing the town's streets might have brought the two groups closer together — Too close, some might have said — it did not incorporate soldiers completely into the civic community."

The events of that night made for obviously awkward moments that followed. The British command found themselves in a delicate situation, and commanding officers couldn't move fast enough to take statements from all parties. Soldiers were jailed, and they would be in need of legal representation. How could they find anything like that in Boston, a city vocally opposed to the occupation. Families were divided. Patrons at taverns talked about nothing else. The whole time, there were individuals who had lost their lives. Families lost loved ones, and people's lives would be irreparably changed. Zabin's book looks at an angle of the Boston Massacre few, if any, have studied. Her book opens the reader's eyes to the mundane events of everyday life. Jobs and tasks that needed someone to get them done. The individuals who did them were humans with their own thoughts, allegiances, feeling, and emotions. All of these elements came together on one night and shaped the course of our nation's history.