During the Boston massacre, six civilians were killed and six more were injured when British troops, garrisoned in Boston, opened fire on an unruly mob. Seven of the soldiers accused of murder were acquitted. Two were found guilty of manslaughter and branded as punishment. When I learned about this as a kid in school I had to imagine the scenario as something akin to the OJ trial. Really, how the fuck do these guys get off!?! When I learned that John Adams, future president of the United States and all around proponent of and friend to the colonies was the defense attorney, I kind of pulled a Kyle’s mom. Now if you’ve seen the mini-series or read the book John Adams, you’re probably saying “hold on a sec’ mister ari g. Ol’ Johnny had a plan! He wanted us to look civilized like the British so they would see that we were not savages!” And I might say, sure, whatever. That may have been his plan, but it’s not what led to the revolution and it certainly did not garner any respect from the British. It was a concerted public performance that led to the revolution that arose out of
