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B O S T O NM ASSAC RE

The CHARACTERS (in order of appearance)

FIRST NARRATOR • SECOND NARRATORBOSTON CITIZENS 1–8

ENGLISH SOLDIERS 1–8 (nonspeaking roles)ENGLISH SENTRY

CRISPUS ATTUCKS: SailorLORD GEORGE GRENVILLE: Member of English Parliament

LORD CHARLES TOWNSHEND: Member of English ParliamentMEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT 1–8 (nonspeaking roles)

JOHN GREY: Boston shopkeeperCAPTAIN THOMAS PRESTON: English officer

RICHARD PALMES: Boston merchant • JOHN ADAMS: Boston lawyerNEWSBOY

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R E A D - A L O U D P L A Y S

The Boston Massacre

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Act 1T H E T I M E A N D P L A C EMarch 5, 1770; Boston, Massachusetts

T H E S E T T I N GOutside the Customs House

FIRST NARRATOR: The American Revolution might have never hap-pened. Not everyone in the 13 American colonies wanted independ-ence, and almost no one imagined that the colonists, who had no stand-ing army and no navy, could defeat the strongest military power in theworld since the Roman Empire.

SECOND NARRATOR: And when we look back across the centuries,great events of history sometimes seem neat and orderly, planned outin advance, but many times the small events that led to great oneswere disorderly and accidental. The Boston Massacre was one of those.

FIRST NARRATOR: Neither side meant for there to be bloodshed thatday—

SECOND NARRATOR: March 5, 1770—

FIRST NARRATOR: In Boston, Massachusetts.

SECOND NARRATOR: A wet snow had fallen overnight—

FIRST NARRATOR: Perfect for making snowballs.

SECOND NARRATOR: Look. A crowd is gathering around the CustomsHouse.

FIRST NARRATOR: That is where the money from the hated taxes isstored.

SECOND NARRATOR: A single sentry stands guard.

CITIZEN 1: Lobsterback!

CITIZEN 2: Go home, lobsterback!

FIRST NARRATOR: They called the British soldiers lobsterbacks becauseof their red coats.

SECOND NARRATOR: In those days, lobsters weren’t considered adelicacy. Lobsters were everywhere along the shore, and in minutes,you could pick up more than you could carry. Only the very poor peo-ple ate them, and others used them for fertilizer.

CITIZEN 3: The British are thieves!

CITIZEN 4: Tyrants!

CITIZEN 5: Invaders!

CITIZEN 6: Tar and feather them!

CITIZEN 7: Lobsterbacks!

FIRST NARRATOR: Actually, the common British soldier wanted to befriendly with the American colonists.

SECOND NARRATOR: The British soldiers did not want to be here, so faraway from their homes, but the colonists saw them as an occupyingarmy, which they were.

FIRST NARRATOR: It was an impossible situation.

SECOND NARRATOR: The current of events was moving too quickly foranyone to control.

SENTRY: Go away, you thugs!

CITIZEN 8: Thugs? He calls us thugs?

CRISPUS ATTUCKS: If we had invaded London, then he might rightlycall us thugs!

FIRST NARRATOR: Uh-oh, now they’re starting to throw snowballs at thesentry.

CITIZEN 1: Down with British tyranny!

ATTUCKS: Down with the Townshend Acts!

SECOND NARRATOR: See that man who just shouted “Down with theTownshend Acts!”? That’s Crispus Attucks, a black sailor.

FIRST NARRATOR: Most of the facts about his life have been lost intime, but he’s about to pay a big price for his views.

R E A D - A L O U D P L A Y S

Revolutionary War

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SECOND NARRATOR: The Townshend Acts provoked all this.

FIRST NARRAIOR: The Townshend Acts were import duties, in otherwords, taxes on goods imported from England.

SECOND NARRATOR: England taxed goods such as pape4 glass, paint,and tea. The coionists didn't object to paying a/l taxes. Every Englishperson paid taxes. It's just that the colonists wanted to be consultedabout it.

FIRST NARRAfOR: The men who wanted independence-patriois suchaS Sam Adams, Paul Revere, and Ben Franklin-needed a cause aroundwhich to rally the people to their side. Lofty talk and beautiful langr-rage

about the rights of people wouldn't do it. They needed something con- '

crete, something everyone could understand. With the Tbwnshend Acts,the British handed the patriots a cause.

SECOND NARRATOR: Coincidentally, there was a political battle goingon back in England between two competing parties, and one party usedthe issue of colonial taxes to taunt the other side. Neither realiy caredabor,rt the issue itself, but they shor-rld have.

FIRST NARRAfOR: To see how this happened, let's shift the scene backto the English Parliament in London.

cAct 2r H E

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THE SETTINGInside the English Pcrrliatnent

LOI{D GRENVILLE: Yor-i're cowards. You're afraid of the Americans. "We

dare not tax America!" you whine.

The members of Parliament mutter to each other Sonte nod their heads inagreentent Others shahe their heads uiolentlg to disagree.

SECOND NARRAIOR: Thai r,vas Lord Grenville. He tisecl to be the heacl

of Parliament, sort of iike our president, but he got voted out of office,and now he wants to gain it back.

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LORD TOWNSHEND: Do I fear Amencans? No. Am I a coward? Dare Inot tax America? I darel i am no cowardl I dare io tax Amenca!

FIRST NARRATOR: And that was Lord Townshend. He's hl<e our secre-tary of the treasury.

GRENVILLE: Do yor-r, Townshend? I wish to God i could see it!

TOWNSHEND: By God, you will see it!

SECOND NARRATOR: It's interesting to wonder what might have hap-pened if the British had behaved more diplomatically, more intelligent-1y toward her colonies in America. But colonies, especially those so faraway, were expensive to maintain. Lord Grenville, looking for a canseto help him get reelected, for-rncl a popular one in the idea that thecoioirres should help pay for thejr keep. It wasn,t a smart move, butLord Townshend jumped at it.

FIRST NARRATOR: Thar 1ed straight to trouble-and back to Boston.

cAct 3THE TIME AND PLACBNlcrrch 5, 7770; Boston, Massacht.saffs

THE SETTINGOr,ttsid.e the Custonrs Hotrce

SECOND NARRATOR: As yor-t can see, the angry crowd has grown.

CIT]ZEN 2:'[hr and [eather ].ord Townshencl!

sENTRY: That sllows what you knowl Lord Townshend's been clead thesethree years

CITIZEN 3: Good!

CITIZEN 4: May he rot!

CITIZEN 5: IVIay al1 England rot!

SENTI{Y: stop throwing things, you rabble, or I'11 shoot in seli-defense!

,'{TTUCI(s: Defense? we're the ones r.vho need defense! Against yor-i!

SECOND NARRATOR: Here comes John Grey-

JOHN GREY: Break it i-rpl Everyone' go home'

FIRSTNARRATOR:JohnGreyownsthatrope-makingshopoverthere.Manymerchantswereagainstindependencebec"usetheythoughtitwould be bad for business' - ,1

GREY:Gohome,Isay.Leavethatsentryaloneortherewillbetroub]e|

CITIZEN 6: You've got some nerve' John Grey!

CITIZEN 7: He's been hiring British soldiers at the expense of

Americans'

CITIZEN B: Shame on You' John GreY!

CITIZEN 1: You're a traitor' GreYl

SENTRY:He,snotatraitor.You,Tethetraitors-yolr,vebetrayedEnglandand Your king!

ATTUCI(S:'lhr ancl feather King Georgel

SENTRY: HeY, You, watch Your mouthl

ATTUCKS: Down with Engiand!

GRBY: Break it uPl Break it uP' I saYl

SECOND NARRATOR: They're throwing snowballs

FIRST NARRATOR: And rocks'

SECOND NARRATOR: Here comes an officer'

FIRST NARRATOR: It's Thomas Preston' captain of

PRESTON: Disperse' yol-l tror-iblemakers' disperse at

the gr-rardl

ATTUCI(S: Look, he's drawing his-sword' He means to

SECOND NARRATOR: A rock hits the captain-

FIRST NARRATOR: Now it's going to turn serious-

GREY: StoP this!

again.

the guard-

once or I'11 call out

attack usl

CITIZEN '2: Go back and supervise your British soldiersl

CITIZEN 3: TheY're ProbablY 1oafing-

PRESTON: Send in the gr-rardl

sEcoND NARRATOR: Here they comel one, two, three ' ' ' five ' ' '

eight.Eightsoldiers,andthey,rearmedforbatt]e.CaptainPrestontakeshis place at ihe head of the line'

ATI|UCKS: Why don't you fire? You don't dare fire on usl

RICHARD PALMES: Wait, Captainl wait! I,m certain we Can sett]e this

without violence!

FIRSTNARRATOR:That,sRichardPalmes,arespectedlocalmerchantwho tries to aci as Peacemaker'

SECOND NARRATOR: But it's too late for peace'

p,.rLiVlES: Sir; I trusi yolr mean no harm to these pecple'

CAPTAIN:tsynomeans,sir.Butwe,llfireinselidefense,makenomis-tahe abor-rt that.

CITIZBN 4: Put down yotir weapons and fight like menl

AfTUCKS: Cowards!

CAPTAIN:Stepback,youpeople!DonotcrowduslYoustandwarned.

PALMES: Stop throwing thingsl Stop this now!

FIRST NARRAf'OR: Br-rt someone reaches out and grabs one of the sol-

dier's mutsheLs.

PALMES: Nol

SECOND NARRAIOR: The gun goes offl

FiRST NARRATOR Then all the soldiers fire!

Therectrt)soun(lofgmfire,shouts,andscreamsAffucTcsandotherclnzensf'all tlotutt, tuotLncled 'flten all souncl stops

FIRST NARR-{ioR: ]t,s happened, the first b]oocishecl, and the war hasn,t

even staried

SECOND NARRATOR: Five PeoPle

and several others are wounded'

from the street'

FIRST NARRAIOR: CaPtain Preston

mean for this to haPPen' and he'1l

his men awa1, screaming at them

winter bteeze'

SECOND NARRATOR: But the story

are dead, including Crispr-rs Atttrcks'

tn" *or,r,c1ec1 and the dead are carried

seems Panic-strici<en' He didn't

fru.r. ao answer for it' He's marching

u, tfr" gr-rn smoke fades in the cold

didn't end there'

cAct 4

THE TIME AND PLACEDecember 5, 7770; Boston, MassacTu'tseffs

THB SETTINGA courtYoom

FIRSTNARRAT\OR:CaptainPrestonandhismenwereplacedontrialformurder. One of the most famous nut"ot'' John Adams' volunteered to

defend them'

CITIZEN 5: Are you out of your mind' Adams? Those men killed

Americans ln cold blood' How can you defend them?

JOHNADAMS:IdoitnotbecauselloveEngland,butbecausel]oveiiberry. There can be no liberty iitlt. righito a fair trial is denied to

anyone.

SECONDNARRATOR:ThesoldierswerefounclguiltyofmanslauglrterbyajuryofBostoniansanclgiveno.,lytok",-'punishment..fhatwasafairverdict, l."uur. to be gurity of murder, you must have intencled to ki1l

a person. r^^

FII{ST NARzuiToR: That wasn't the soldiers, intention, and besides, they

wereprovokedbyanangrycrowd.Nobodyintlratcrowcldeservedtogetshot,br-rtwitiotrtthem-theirworclsandactions-theincident*o,-,1c1 never have haPPened'

CiTIZEN 6: I hope yot'i're happy' Adams'

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JOl-1N ADAMS: 'fhe tn-rth, whether it serves oltr aims or not, is all that

matters in the court of 3usttce

cITIZtrN 7: John's nght. How can we acclise the English of taking away

or-rr rights, and then tnrn aroltnd and do the same to their citizens?

SECOND NARRAIOR: The radical patriot, samr-rej Adams, agreed withhis cor-rsin John compietely on everything-including the right to resist

injr.rstice and tyranny, the right of freedom'

FIRST NARRAfOR: But Sam believed that to attain freedom, you some-

times needed to stretch the truth. He stretched lt a lot' Let's move out-

side, and yor-r'11 see what I mean.

NEWSBOY: Read all abor-rt it. Murder! Redcoats murder the citizens ofBosionl Gei the latest by Sam Aciams, eyewitness to massacre lst'locENT.

Br-t-roo Cnyrnc ro Gon FROM TltE Srn-srrs op BosToi\, by Sam Adams. Get

one while they iast!

strcoND NARI{ATOR: Sam also encouraged his friend Par'rl Revere to

. engrave a plcture of the shooting on a copper plate so that it couid be

prinieci on paper and widely distributed. It showed a line of British sol-

diers irrtentionally firing into a crowd of respectable unarmed citjzens'

This pictr-rre became the "truth" to most Colonists' That's what propa-

ganda is all aborit.

FIRST NARRATOR: Sam Adams was a true radicai, but then the idea he

ancj other patrtots believed in was also radical in those days. The idea

was this: The general public shor-rld, and cou1d, choose their own

leaders

SECOND NARRATOR: Oh, by the way, on March 5,1770, the very day of

thr: Bostou Massacre, the English Parltament repeaied the Tou'nshend

Acts. The good news abolrt the taxes wor'rld reach Amerlcan shores sev-

er.tl u'eeks too late./q,?