Making History: A Guided Exploration of Historical Inquiry

Digging into Written Documents, Looking at the Details and Considering Bias:  Depositions from John Wilme, Jeffrey Richardson, John Gray and Ebenezer Bridgham at the Soldiers' Trials

What information in my source helps me understand the topic?  What is the point of view of my source? 

Many people gave legal depositions when the soldiers were put on trial for the colonists' deaths.  These gave me a lot of new information to think about! As I read through these depositions, I asked myself, how do these depositions help me understand what made the soldiers shoot the colonists? 

I read through the depositions once.  Then, I went back to dig into the detail of these documents.  I used my highlighter to mark parts that I think are important for my historical inquiry.

Testimony from the trials of the British Soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre 

(Digital Source:  The Boston Massacre Trials Page.  Click the link if you would like to read more depositions from the trials)
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1.   From the deposition of John Wilme

"I, John Wilme, of lawful age, testify that about ten days before the late massacre, Christopher Rumbly of the 14th regiment, was at my house...[and]...did talk very much against the town, and said if there should be any interruption, that the grenadier's company was to march up King street...and that he had been in many a battle; and that he did not know but he might be soon in one here; and that if he was, he would level his piece so as not to miss; and said that the blood would soon run in the streets of Boston...."

Collecting Evidence:  John Wilme

• describes a soldier's attitude toward the people of Boston
• conversation took place 10 days before Massacre
• soldier talked against the town of Boston
• soldier said he would shoot into a crowd
• soldier said blood would "soon run" in streets of Boston 

Considering bias:

Who created the document?

• John Wilme

Is there anything I know about the person that will help me understand the bias of the source?

• John Wilme and his wife lived in Boston.  Both gave nearly identical depositions during the soldiers' trial.

Where was the person during the event?

• He was not at the Massacre, but is testifying about what one of the soldiers said about the people of Boston before the event. 

Why did the person create this document? 

• as testimony at the soldiers' Boston Massacre trial

What could this person have to lose or gain? 

• Since Wilme lived in Boston, he may need to consider the feelings of the people that live near him.  Could he be concerned with alienating his neighbors?

What are some key parts or words in the document that I think reveal the bias?

• he is already calling the shooting a 'massacre'--I think this shows bias against the soldiers.
• 'spoke against the people of the town,' 'blood would soon run in the streets of Boston'--these phrases were pretty graphic and, along with the fact that the witness is a Bostonian, makes me think that this witness was biased against the soldiers.

2.   From the deposition of Jeffrey Richardson

"I, Jeffrey Richardson, of lawful age, testify and say, that on Friday, the second instant, about 11 o'clock, A.M., eight or ten soldiers of the 29th regiment, armed with clubs, came to Mr. John Gray's ropewalks [ropemaking shop], and challenged all the ropemakers to come out and fight them... ."

Collecting Evidence:  Jeffrey Richardson

• discusses what happens at the ropewalks on March 2nd
• soldiers came to ropewalks armed with clubs
• soldiers challenged the workers to a fight

Considering bias:

Who created the document? 

• Jeffrey Richardson; he sounds like he might be one of the workers at the ropewalks.

Is there anything I know about the person that will help me understand the bias of the source?

• Since Richardson was one of the rope workers, he is likely to already have a bias against the soldiers. The dislike that the rope workers and the soldiers have for each other is already well known. 

Where was the person during the event?

• At the ropewalks.

Why did this person create the document?

• As part of a deposition at the British soldiers' trial for shooting into the crowd. 

What could this person have to lose or gain?

• If Richardson was part of the fight at the ropewalks, maybe the earlier fight at the ropewalks, the one that led to the massacre later, could get him in trouble. He might be held responsible for the soldiers' actions at the massacre if the ropeworkers were found to be the cause of the first fight.

What are some key parts or words of the document that I think reveal the bias?

• The way he says, "challenged all the ropemakers to come out and fight them" makes me think that he is anti-soldier.  

3.   From the deposition of John Gray

"...this put me upon immediately waiting upon Col. Dalrymple, to whom I related what I understood had passed at the ropewalk days before. He replied it was much the same as he had heard from his people; but says he, 'your man was the aggressor in affronting one of my people, by asking him if he wanted to work, and then telling him to clean his little-house [outhouse].' For this expression I dismissed my journeyman on the Monday morning following; and further said, I would all in my power to prevent my people's giving them any affront in future. He then assured me, he had and should do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in order...."

Collecting Evidence:  John Gray 

• Gray was at the ropewalks
• describes a conversation he had with Col. Dalrymple
• soldier, looking for work, was told he could clean the ropewalks' outhouse
• British soldiers believe they were insulted at ropewalks on March 2nd

Considering bias: 

Who created the document? 

• John Gray, the owner of the ropewalks

Is there anything I know about the person that will help me understand the bias of the source?

• The ropeworks is likely selling rope to the British navy for their ships, as well as to the Boston merchants.  Gray would probably like to stay friendly with both sides because he sells to both. 

Where was the person during the event?

• He was having a conversation with the British Colonel.  It does not sound like he was present during the first fight at the ropewalks.

Why did this person create the document?

• as testimony at the soldiers' trial

What could this person have to lose or gain?

• As master of the ropewalks, Gray probably could be in a lot of trouble if it was found that he did not do enough to keep his workers away from the soldiers.

What are some key parts or words of the document that I think reveal the bias?

• he seems very deferential toward the Colonel when he says that he will do 'all in his power' to keep his workers from giving affront to the soldiers again.  He seems neutral to me.

4.  From the testimony of Ebenezer Bridgham

"They stood with their pieces  before them, to defend themselves; and as soon as they had placed themselves, a party, about twelve in number, with sticks in their hands, who stood in the middle of the street, gave three cheers, and immediately surrounded the soldiers, and struck upon their guns with their sticks, and passed along the front of the soldiers, toward Royal-Exchange-lane, striking the soldiers' guns as they passed...I saw the people near me on the left, strike the soldiers' guns, daring them to fire, and called them cowardly rascals, for bringing arms against naked men...."

Collecting Evidence: Ebenezer Bridgham

• describes the scene at the Boston Massacre
• the crowd was about 12 people
• the crowd surrounded the soldiers
• the crowd hit the soldiers' guns with sticks
• crowd verbally abused the soldiers
• crowd dared the soldiers to fire 

Considering bias:

Who created the document?

• Ebenezer Bridgham

Is there anything I know about the person that will help me understand the bias of the source?

• no

Where was the person during the event?

• He was not part of the crowd, but standing nearby watching what happened at the Boston Massacre

Why did this person create the document?

• testimony for the soldiers' trials

What could this person have to lose or gain?

• I don't know

What are some key parts or words of the document that I think reveal the bias?

• describes soldiers 'defending' themselves, the crowd cheering and describes the taunts of the crowd toward the soldiers.  He sounds pro-soldier to me.

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Take Action: 
Gather your evidence

• Take a 'first pass' through your sources to get the main idea or tone of what the author says
• Go back through the source and highlight the parts that help you understand what happened
• Collect and record your evidence from each source
• Consider the bias of your sources