who was the lawyer that defended the british soldiers after the boston massacre?

Who did John Adams defend in the Boston Massacre?

Adams defended the British officer Thomas Preston and his soldiers in two separate trials. Can you talk about the balancing act Adams undertook to defend all his clients without alienating his fellow Bostonians, many of whom fervently supported the broader patriot cause?

What testimony did the defense have in the Boston Massacre?

Witnesses recalled how the mob had repeatedly called for the British soldiers to be killed. Particularly effective testimony for the defense came from Dr. John Jeffries, who had tended to one of the colonists killed on the night of March 5, 1770.

Who was John Adams — defense attorney for British soldiers?

John Adams — Defense Attorney for British Soldiers? Why a Founding Father represented British soldiers during the Boston Massacre Trials aptain Thomas Preston and eight British soldiers were on trial for murder. They would need an excellent attorney to represent them with a jury full of anti-British colonists.

Who was on trial for the Boston Massacre?

Next on trial were the eight soldiers under Preston’s command on the night of the Boston Massacre. There was a different jury for this trial and they were, once again, sequestered. During the seven-day trial, more than eighty witnesses were called to testify.

Who defended British soldiers in Boston Massacre?

John AdamsAs noted in the 2008 HBO mini-series chronicling the life and career of John Adams (1735-1826), as a young lawyer the future president served as counsel for the defense in the trial of eight British soldiers accused of murder during a riot in Boston on March 5, 1770.

Who was the lawyers in the Boston Massacre?

The prosecution lawyers were Robert Treat Paine and Samuel Quincy. The defense team included John Adams, Josiah Quincy, Jr. (Samuel Quincy's brother), Sampson Salter Blowers, and Robert Auchmuty. Both trials lasted longer than one day, which was rare at this time for Massachusetts courts.

Why did John Adams defend Redcoats?

Without hesitation Adams agreed to defend the soldiers and their captain. Above all, John Adams believed in upholding the law, and defending the innocent. Adams was convinced that the soldiers were wrongly accused, and had fired into the crowd in self-defense.

Did John Adams win the trial?

Adams' persuasion won the day, and Preston and six of his soldiers were acquitted of all charges. Two soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter and were punished by having their thumbs branded. Ultimately, Adams was proud of his service to the British soldiers.

Who was Richard palms?

Richard Palmes was a Boston resident at the time of the Boston massacre in 1770.

Is Sam a loyalist or a Patriot?

Early Life. Samuel Adams was born on September 27, 1722, in Boston, Massachusetts. Adams graduated from Harvard College in 1740, and would soon be known as a Patriot and one of the United States' Founding Fathers.

Did Preston order fire?

Preston denied that he gave an order to fire and was supported by three defense witnesses, while four witnesses for the prosecution swore that he had given the order. The massacre label stood even after a Boston jury later acquitted Captain Preston and four of the soldiers of all charges.

What did John Adams do?

In the 1780s, Adams served as a diplomat in Europe and helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris (1783), which officially ended the American Revolutionary War (1775-83). From 1789 to 1797, Adams was America's first vice president. He then served a term as the nation's second president.

Who is Samuel Drowne?

Drowne was one of 96 residents of Boston to give sworn testimony to justices of the peace about what happened between the British soldiers and residents of Boston. These accounts were taken by ship to London on April 1, 1770.

What did Sam Adams yell when he saw the redcoats?

“Damn you! Fire!” he yelled, before discharging his musket.

Who was the main leader of the Sons of Liberty?

Samuel AdamsThe Sons' most prominent leader was Samuel Adams, the son of a wealthy brewer who was more interested in radical rabble-rousing than commerce. Adams wrote his masters thesis at Harvard on the lawfulness of resisting British rule.

How many of the British soldiers were found guilty?

No malice was found. All eight men were found not guilty of murder. Two, Hugh Montgomery and Matthew Kilroy, were found guilty of manslaughter. A defense lawyer to the last, Adams negotiated the sentences of Montgomery and Kilroy using and ancient precedent of English law.

What happened in Boston on March 6th 1770?

The blood remained fresh on the snow outside Boston’s Custom House on the morning of March 6 , 1770. Hours earlier, rising tensions between British troops and colonists had exploded into violence when a band of Redcoats opened fire on a crowd that had pelted them with not just taunts, but ice, oyster shells and broken glass. Although the soldiers claimed to have acted in self-defense, patriot propaganda referred to the incident as the Boston Massacre. Eight British soldiers and their officer in charge, Captain Thomas Preston, faced charges for murdering five colonists.

How old was John Adams when he was a lawyer?

Not far from the Custom House, a 34-year-old Boston attorney sat in his office and made a difficult decision. Although a devout patriot, John Adams agreed to risk his family’s livelihood and defend the British soldiers and their commander in a Boston courtroom. At stake was not just the fate of nine men, but the relationship between ...

Who is the author of John Adams Under Fire?

In the new book John Adams Under Fire: The Founding Father’s Fight for Justice in the Boston Massacre Murder Trial, Dan Abrams and coauthor David Fisher detail what they call the “most important case in colonial American history” and an important landmark in the development of American jurisprudence. Abrams, who is also the chief legal affairs ...

Is hearsay evidence reliable?

It is also what is called the dying declaration, and in a courtroom today we have an exception to the hearsay rule for a dying declaration because the theory is that, although hearsay evidence can be typically unreliable, it’s more reliable if it’s someone’s final statement before their death.

Did Adams blame the city for the skirmish?

Adams didn’t blame the city for initiating the skirmish. He kept it very, very focused on the facts of this particular instance—what happened, who was there, the specific individuals—and did not make it a broader indictment of the Sons of Liberty and others who had supported violence against the British soldiers.

Did Captain Preston order his men to fire?

Stunningly so. I think the verdicts are almost exactly what we would see today. It’s obvious to me that Captain Preston didn’t order his men to fire, and he was acquitted. They could have convicted all the soldiers for the actions of one or two of them, but they didn’t—because there simply wasn’t evidence that the others were involved in the shooting. And I think that’s an amazing testament to the jurors of the day.

Who was the British officer in charge of the Boston Massacre?

Eight British soldiers and their officer in charge, Captain Thomas Preston, faced charges for murdering five colonists. Not far from the Custom House, a 34-year-old Boston attorney sat in his office ...

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