“Boston’s Revolutionary Martyrs” Panel in the Back Bay, 5 Mar.

Here’s the second panel discussion about the Boston Massacre that I’ll participate in this week, on the exact anniversary of the event (and of most of the memorial orations that followed).

Saturday, 5 March, 2:00–3:30 P.M.
Boston’s Revolutionary Martyrs
American Ancestors Research Center, 99-101 Newbury Street, Boston

The lineup of topics:

“Young Martyr: The Short Life of Christopher Seider” presented by J. L. Bell — On February 22, 1770, a protest by Boston boys spiraled into a violent confrontation that ended with a customs officer killing a child named Christopher Seider. This young son of immigrants from Germany was thus the first person killed in Boston’s confrontation with the Crown. The town’s political organizers organized a grand funeral for the boy, raising public passions that fed into the Boston Massacre one week later. What does genealogical research reveal about the Seider family, their young son, and the man who killed him?

“Women Witnessing a Massacre” presented by Katie Turner Getty — On the night of March 5, 1770, a crowd, variously described as “a motley rabble of saucy boys,” “mostly boys and youngsters,” “near 200 boys and men,” and “a parcel of Rude boys,” gathered in King Street and famously hurled oyster shells and chunks of snow and ice at British troops. When the soldiers fired on the crowd, five of these boys and men were shot and killed. In the aftermath of the shooting, dozens of male eyewitnesses gave depositions and testified at the ensuing trials. But did any women or girls witness the Boston Massacre? If so, what did they see and how have their voices reached us today?

“The Martyr & the Massacre: The Story of Dr. Joseph Warren” presented by Christian Di Spigna — The Boston Massacre stands as one of the most memorable events in American History. Yet often overlooked is the man who helped immortalize the event—Dr. Joseph Warren. Discover Warren's pivotal role in the Massacre's aftermath as we highlight new discoveries and deconstruct why he remains a forgotten figure even though his fingerprints left an indelible mark on the Massacre’s enduring legacy.

The presentations will be followed by questions from the audience.

This event at the New England Historic Genealogical Society was organized by the Dr. Joseph Warren Foundation in partnership with Massachusetts Freemasons, Revolution 250, and the Massachusetts Society Sons of the American Revolution.

Artifacts from the life of Dr. Joseph Warren will be on display as part of a discussion of what martyrdom means in political organizing and historical memory. We’ll have books available for sale and signing as well.

Admission to this event is $15 to benefit the N.E.H.G.S. Register through this site.