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Media Representation Of The Boston Massacre

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On the night of March 5, 1770, the streets of Boston became a battleground, forever marking an important event in American history, the Boston Massacre. Bloodshed and turmoil ensued, leaving behind a legacy that would be examined and reinterpreted for decades, revealing the deep levels of historical significance and societal viewpoint. This research paper explores the intricate dynamics of how initial responses, shifting perspectives, and media depictions have shaped the understanding of this pivotal event. By examining the varied narratives and perspectives from the colonial era to the present, as well as the impact of media representations, we can gain deeper insights into the complexities and historical significance of the Boston Massacre. …show more content…

Seeking to downplay the severity of the event, they portrayed it as a tragic incident resulting from mob aggression. Accounts published in newspapers like the London Chronicle in April 1770 depicted the soldiers as acting in self-defense. According to one such account, the soldiers were "compelled to act in their own defense against the seditious and violent mob" (The Boston Massacre Historical Society). These narratives aimed to justify the actions of the British soldiers and shift the blame onto the colonists, thus shaping a different perspective on the …show more content…

Visual representations, such as Paul Revere's engraving, "The Bloody Massacre Perpetrated in King Street," had a profound impact on how the event was perceived. Revere's engraving depicted a chaotic scene with British soldiers firing into an unarmed crowd, reinforcing the colonists' perspective of a deliberate massacre. The image circulated widely and stirred public outrage, solidifying the colonists' perception of the event (The Library of Congress's collection on John Adams and the Boston Massacre Trial of 1770). The power of visual representation in shaping historical memory is evident in how Revere's engraving influenced public opinion and perpetuated a particular narrative of the Boston

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In two famous engravings of the Boston Massacre, Engraving of the Boston Massacre by Paul Revere and The Fruits of Arbitrary Power by Henry Pelham, viewers are given different views of the same event through the use of various artistic techniques. If one looks closer at these two engravings, it becomes apparent that there are differences between how two groups, American Colonists and British Troops, are presented as good, evil, or morally ambiguous. Through the use of various artistic techniques such as color, shading, facial expressions, and text, Revere and Pelham were able to achieve two different expressions and opinions of the same massacre. While Pelham’s engraving appears more neutral in tone, Revere’s engraving includes much more emotional appeal and

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