Trial of the Boston Massacre Defendants

Eight British soldiers who fired on the Boston mob, killing five people, were jailed and tried for murder. John Adams, the future U.S. president, defended them.

The soldiers were acquitted on the grounds of self-defense (since they had been taunted by the mob). The patriots pointed to the trial as evidence that law, not mob rule, was maintained in Boston - and that even the despised "Redcoats" could get a fair trial.

The image depicts the trial record. Click on it for a better view.