Boston Massacre

What is the meaning of the word “disperse” as it is used in paragraph 2 of Passage 1?

2  At about the same time, bells began to ring throughout the town. Bells at night meant fire, a disaster for the wooden-built town. Men and boys poured into the streets as shouts of “Fire” were heard. As more colonists gathered on King Street, taunting the sentry and daring him to fight, White began to fear for his life and called for the main guard in the barracks beside the Town House (Old State House). Although the troops could not forcefully disperse the gathered townspeople without civilian authority, they could defend themselves. Captain Thomas Preston marched out a party of seven Grenadiers, the biggest men in the Regiment.

• Spray

• Assign

• Drive Off

• Cover up

 Based on the information in Passage 1, who had the power to “disperse" the crowd?

1 Boston in 1770 had no street lamps. Monday, March 5th, was a cold and moonlit night. Snow covered the ground. Private Hugh White was the lone sentry on guard at the Custom House on King Street. What began as taunting between White and several young apprentices soon escalated to violence. After striking one of the young boys on the head with his musket, White found himself surrounded, pelted with curses, snowballs, and chunks of ice.

2 At about the same time, bells began to ring throughout the town. Bells at night meant fire, a disaster for the wooden-built town. Men and boys poured into the streets as shouts of “Fire” were heard. As more colonists gathered on King Street, taunting the sentry and daring him to fight, White began to fear for his life and called for the main guard in the barracks beside the Town House (Old State House). Although the troops could not forcefully disperse the gathered townspeople without civilian authority, they could defend themselves. Captain Thomas Preston marched out a party of seven Grenadiers, the biggest men in the Regiment.

3 Preston, Corporal William Wemms, and six privates – Carroll, Kilroy, Warren, Montgomery, Hartigan, and McCauley – marched to the sentry box with fixed bayonets. White joined the ranks. Preston was unable to march the eight soldiers back to the barracks because of the threatening crowd, armed with sticks, swords, rocks, ice, and snow. The troops formed a defensive semi-circle in front of the Custom House stairs. While some among the crowd pleaded with Captain Preston to keep his soldiers calm and not to fire, others dared the soldiers to fire. Sticks and bayonets dueled. The taunting colonists thought the soldiers would not fire.

4 Private Hugh Montgomery was hit with a stick and fell; on rising he fired his musket. Someone shouted, “Fire,” and more shots rang out in an uncontrolled volley. Private Kilroy fired and hit ropemaker Samuel Gray in the head. Crispus Attucks, a former slave of mixed African and Native American descent, was shot in the chest. Sailor James Caldwell was killed in the middle of King Street. Samuel Maverick, an apprentice to an ivory turner, was near the Town House when he caught a ricocheting bullet; he would die several hours later. Patrick Carr, an Irishman and maker of leather breeches, was shot in the hip. He would die on March 14th, the fifth person to die as a result of the Massacre. Six other colonists were wounded.

5 Rushing from his North End home, acting Royal Governor Thomas Hutchinson arrived and addressed the crowd from the balcony of the Town House. He urged everyone to go home, stating, “The law shall have its course; I will live and die by the law.”

• Captain Thomas Preston

• Corporal William Wemms

• Private Hugh Montgomery

• Royal Governor Thomas Hutchinson

Based on Passage 1, why were more colonists injured than soldiers?

1 Boston in 1770 had no street lamps. Monday, March 5th, was a cold and moonlit night. Snow covered the ground. Private Hugh White was the lone sentry on guard at the Custom House on King Street. What began as taunting between White and several young apprentices soon escalated to violence. After striking one of the young boys on the head with his musket, White found himself surrounded, pelted with curses, snowballs, and chunks of ice.

2 At about the same time, bells began to ring throughout the town. Bells at night meant fire, a disaster for the wooden-built town. Men and boys poured into the streets as shouts of “Fire” were heard. As more colonists gathered on King Street, taunting the sentry and daring him to fight, White began to fear for his life and called for the main guard in the barracks beside the Town House (Old State House). Although the troops could not forcefully disperse the gathered townspeople without civilian authority, they could defend themselves. Captain Thomas Preston marched out a party of seven Grenadiers, the biggest men in the Regiment.

3 Preston, Corporal William Wemms, and six privates – Carroll, Kilroy, Warren, Montgomery, Hartigan, and McCauley – marched to the sentry box with fixed bayonets. White joined the ranks. Preston was unable to march the eight soldiers back to the barracks because of the threatening crowd, armed with sticks, swords, rocks, ice, and snow. The troops formed a defensive semi-circle in front of the Custom House stairs. While some among the crowd pleaded with Captain Preston to keep his soldiers calm and not to fire, others dared the soldiers to fire. Sticks and bayonets dueled. The taunting colonists thought the soldiers would not fire.

• The colonists did not have sophisticated weapons.

• There were more soldiers than colonists in the area.

• The soldiers were angrier about the existing conditions than the colonists were.

• The colonists did not have strong leaders to organize their efforts of protest.

4. How does paragraph 2 of Passage 1 best contribute to the development of the passage?

2  At about the same time, bells began to ring throughout the town. Bells at night meant fire, a disaster for the wooden-built town. Men and boys poured into the streets as shouts of “Fire” were heard. As more colonists gathered on King Street, taunting the sentry and daring him to fight, White began to fear for his life and called for the main guard in the barracks beside the Town House (Old State House). Although the troops could not forcefully disperse the gathered townspeople without civilian authority, they could defend themselves. Captain Thomas Preston marched out a party of seven Grenadiers, the biggest men in the Regiment.

• . It poses an argument that the conflict was carefully planned.

• It explains the conditions that allowed a minor conflict to escalate so quickly.

• It describes why the colonists were upset about soldiers from England being in Boston.

• It suggests that the colonists believed the soldiers from England has started a fire in Boston that night.

5. In paragraph 13 of Passage 2, the author states the English soldiers looked at the colonists “with a fierceness of men whose trade was to shed blood.”

What is mainly being suggested by the language?

9 Arriving at the sentinel's post, Captain Preston drew up his men in a semi-circle, with their faces to the crowd and their rear to the custom-house. "When the people saw the officer, and beheld the threatening attitude with which the soldiers fronted them, their rage became almost uncontrollable.

10 "Fire, you lobster-backs!" bellowed some.

11 "You dare not fire, you cowardly red-coats," cried others.

12 "Rush upon them!" shouted many voices. "Drive the rascals to their barracks! Down with them! Down with them! Let them fire, if they dare!"

13 Amid the uproar, the soldiers stood glaring at the people, with the fierceness of men whose trade was to shed blood.

14 Oh, what a crisis had now arrived! Up to this very moment, the angry feelings between England and America might have been pacified. England had but to stretch out the hand of reconciliation, and acknowledge that she had hitherto mistaken her rights but would do so no more. Then, the ancient bonds of brotherhood would again have been knit together, as firmly as in old times. The habit of loyalty, which had grown as strong as instinct, was not utterly overcome. The perils shared, the victories won, in the Old French War, when the soldiers of the colonies fought side by side with their comrades from beyond the sea, were unforgotten yet.

England was still that beloved country which the colonists called their home. King George, though he had frowned upon America, was still reverenced as a father.

15 But, should the king's soldiers shed one drop of American blood, then it was a quarrel to the death. Never—never would America rest satisfied, until she had torn down the royal authority, and trampled it in the dust.

• The soldiers were extremely committed to the cause of not allowing America to break free of England.

• The soldiers purposely picked a fight with the colonists because they had grown bored while being shut indoors during winter.

• The soldiers considered violence to be a main part of their job.

• The soldiers believed violence was to be used as an effective last resort.

In Passage 2, what claim is the author developing in paragraphs 14 and 15?

9 Arriving at the sentinel's post, Captain Preston drew up his men in a semi-circle, with their faces to the crowd and their rear to the custom-house. "When the people saw the officer, and beheld the threatening attitude with which the soldiers fronted them, their rage became almost uncontrollable.

10 "Fire, you lobster-backs!" bellowed some.

11 "You dare not fire, you cowardly red-coats," cried others.

12 "Rush upon them!" shouted many voices. "Drive the rascals to their barracks! Down with them! Down with them! Let them fire, if they dare!"

13 Amid the uproar, the soldiers stood glaring at the people, with the fierceness of men whose trade was to shed blood.

14 Oh, what a crisis had now arrived! Up to this very moment, the angry feelings between England and America might have been pacified. England had but to stretch out the hand of reconciliation, and acknowledge that she had hitherto mistaken her rights but would do so no more. Then, the ancient bonds of brotherhood would again have been knit together, as firmly as in old times. The habit of loyalty, which had grown as strong as instinct, was not utterly overcome. The perils shared, the victories won, in the Old French War, when the soldiers of the colonies fought side by side with their comrades from beyond the sea, were unforgotten yet.

England was still that beloved country which the colonists called their home. King George, though he had frowned upon America, was still reverenced as a father.

15 But, should the king's soldiers shed one drop of American blood, then it was a quarrel to the death. Never—never would America rest satisfied, until she had torn down the royal authority, and trampled it in the dust.

16 "Fire, if you dare, villains!" hoarsely shouted the people, while the muzzles of the muskets were turned upon them; "you dare not fire!"

• The relationship between England and America could not be repaired if Americans were hurt.

• England admired the colonists for establishing a new country but was not sure the colonists were still loyal.

• The main reason the colonists left England was because they resented the King.

• The colonists were ready for battle because they had recently fought in the Old French War.

Which sentence from Passage 2 further develops the answer to Part A?

• “They appeared ready to rush upon the levelled bayonets.” (paragraph 17)

• “The flash of their muskets lighted up the street, and the report rang loudly...” (paragraph 17)

• “Some, sorely wounded, were struggling to rise again.” (paragraph 18)

• “...that purple stain, in the midst of King Street, though it melted away in the next day’s sun, was never forgotten nor forgiven...” (paragraph 18)

Read this sentence from paragraph 3 of Passage 1.

“While some among the crowd pleaded with Captain Preston to keep his soldiers calm and not to fire, others dared the soldiers to fight.”

Which sentence from Passage 2 best support this statement?

• “For heaven’s sake, sir,” exclaimed he, “take heed what you do, or here will be bloodshed.” (paragraph 7)

• “‘Who goes there?’ he cried, in the gruff peremptory tones of a soldier’s challenge.” (paragraph 3)

• “‘Rush upon them!’ shouted many voices.” (paragraph 12)

• “At the same time, many of the town’s-people rushed into King Street, by various avenues, and gathered in a crowd round about the custom-house.” (paragraph 4)

Read this sentence from paragraph 4 of Passage 2.

“It seemed wonderful how such a multitude had started up, all of the sudden.” Which excerpt from Passage 1 provides the best explanation for the sudden appearance of many townspeople?

• “Boston in 1770 had no street lamps. Monday, March 5th, was a cold and moonlit night.” (paragraph 1)

• “What began as taunting between White and several young apprentices soon escalated to violence.” (paragraph 1)

• “At about the same time, bells began to ring throughout the town. Bells at night meant fire, a disaster for the wooden-built town.” (paragraph 2)

• “Captain Thomas Preston marched out a party of seven Grenadiers, the biggest men in the Regiment.” (paragraph 2)

Read these sentences from both passages.

“The law shall have its course; I will live and die by the law.” (Passage 1)

“Blood was streaming upon the snow; and that purple stain, in the midst of King Street, though it melted away in the next day’s sun, was never forgotten nor forgiven

by the people.” (Passage 2)

How do these statements develop one of the central ideas of the passages?

• They honor the individuals who lost their lives during the massacre.

• They emphasize the level of anger the colonists felt after the massacre.

• They foreshadow that the conflict between England and America was the beginning of a longer war.

• They suggest the authors do not agree with the way the conflict was handled by either side.