Worlds Turned Upside Down Episode 13: The Massacre
Mar 7, 2025
The podcast delves into the tumultuous events leading to the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770. It explores the colonial resentment toward oppressive taxes and troop deployments, painting a vivid picture of Boston’s fraught atmosphere. Personal stories of soldiers and their families reveal the complexities of loyalty and fear, while critical moments like the infamous crowd confrontation highlight escalating tensions. The aftermath investigates the propaganda that shaped public perception and the legal battles that followed, challenging the narratives of both the army and the colonies.
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Occupation Changed Loyalist Sentiment
- The arrival of British regiments transformed Boston from a partner-in-empire into an occupied city in colonists' eyes.
- Troops intended to restore order instead intensified perceptions of imperial overreach and fueled resentment.
Army As A Family Institution
- The British army functioned as a family institution that routinely included soldiers' wives and children.
- Allowing families to travel with regiments shaped social and economic ties between soldiers and colonial towns.
Chambers Family Sails To Halifax
- In June 1765 Jane Chambers and her child sailed from Cork with the 29th to Halifax aboard HMS Thunderer.
- Halifax received hundreds of soldiers and families and became a military node in North America.