America’s Revolution
It’s tough to choose from this chapter! But, I really like the message when you combine these two facts, which are both, truth.
“The eight British soldiers and one officer responsible for the so-called Boston Massacre of March 5, 1770,
actually were defending their own lives. Surrounded by a howling mob of more than a hundred civilians who hurled chunks of ice and rocks at them, the frightened soldiers fired their muskets almost spontaneously, without an order being given. A jury of Massachusetts men agreed it was self-defense, acquitting seven of the redcoats. The two who were found guilty of manslaughter were given suspended sentences.”
Now for the lesson.
“John Adams, one of the American Revolution’s most devoted patriots, was the lawyer who successfully defended the British captain and eight soldiers who had been charged with murder after the Boston Massacre of 1770. Although Adams was staunchly anti-British, and Boston was loudly clamoring for the execution of the soldiers, his belief in justice led him to accept their defense. He expected his action to end his career, but instead it won the respect of his peers. And mine today.”
As well as mine.