Boston 1775

On 4 Apr 1756, Trinity Church in Boston recorded the baptism of “Benjamin Davis, Son of Benj. & [blank].” Benjamin, Jr.’s mother was ...

Yesterday I quoted Samuel Gray ’s 11 July 1775 description of the Battle of Bunker Hill , based on what he called “my own knowledge.” Gra...

In his History of the Siege of Boston , Richard Frothingham published a letter about the Battle of Bunker Hill written by Samuel Gray in Ro...

On 21 Feb 1775, Dr. Benjamin Church secretly told Gen. Thomas Gage that “Twelve pieces of Brass Cannon mounted, are at Salem , & lodg...

As discussed yesterday , there’s good evidence that Crispus Attucks was the first person shot at the Boston Massacre . There’s even stron...

Another question about the Boston Massacre that I saw come up this Sestercentennial season is whether Crispus Attucks was really the fi...

Among the men who brawled at John Gray ’s ropewalk on 2 Mar 1770 were a young ropemaker named Samuel Gray (no known relation) and Pvts. ...

Today Salem commemorates “Leslie’s Retreat” on 26 Feb 1775, so I’m highlighting Donna Seger’s Streets of Salem posting about that event....

The next Seth Kaller auction of manuscripts and printed Americana includes a print of Paul Revere ’s engraving of the Boston Massacre . Th...

My favorite account of “Leslie’s Retreat” appeared in the first volume of the Proceedings of the Essex Institute in 1856. It consists of ...

I mentioned this in a comment a few days back, but thought it deserved more space. The Boston Public Library’s Rare Books and Manuscript...

Yesterday we saw rookie town watchman Edward G. Langford dealing with the influx of British soldiers —and, more troublesome, British army ...

Today’s the anniversary of the Boston Massacre , and this evening we’re reenacting the event outside the Old State House Museum , as close...

The Boston Massacre occurred 244 years ago today. From the start that was a controversial event with different participants seeing it quite...

As we approach the anniversary of the Boston Massacre on 5 March, Charles Bahne, author of The Complete Guide to Boston’s Freedom Trail , ...

Richard Palmes had a front-row view of the Boston Massacre . He was close enough to Capt. Thomas Preston that, as he later said, “my left ...

Being in the opposite corner of the country, I’m quite sorry I won’t be able to attend today’s brown-bag-lunch seminar at the Massachusetts ...

In colonial Boston, some newspapers published each Monday, and some each Thursday. Because the Boston Massacre occurred on a Monday evening,...