Within three weeks of the King Street shootings, Paul Revere, a Boston silversmith, had produced what remains the most famous image of the Boston Massacre. Revere had been active in Boston politics throughout the 1760s. He was a member of the Sons of Liberty, helped organize protests against the Stamp Act and the Townshend Duties, and produced both commemorative silver items and engravings to celebrate the patriotism of Bostonians who resisted the tyranny of British officials.
Questions to Consider
How might Paul Revere's background influence how historians interpret his engraving?
How does Revere's engraving depict the crowd? Does that depiction match Wyat or Murray's accounts of the crowd and its behavior?
How does Revere's engraving depict the soldiers? Does that depiction match Wyat or Murray's accounts of how the firing began?
Source:
Paul Revere, "The Bloody Massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th, 1770...," 1770. Etching (handcolored), 7-3/4 x 8-3/4 in. Washington, D. C., Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.
