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Zinkusnavigation Post 1 - Boston
Sep. 2nd, 2014 10:07 amA post cribbed from Facebook about the first stop on our #Zinkusnavigation, Boston.
( Cut for this being quite long. )
( Cut for this being quite long. )
Sep. 2nd, 2014
The Boston Massacre was an important event leading up to the American Revolution and War of Indepedence. British government troops had been stationed in Boston to protect Crown officials trying to enforce some unpopular regulations. The soldiers were often subject to verbal abuse and on the day of the massacre quite a large mob had formed outside some government buildings and were hurling abuse and manure at the small guard detail. A fight broke out between one soldier and a local apprentice lad.
A rumour spread that a fire had started and a large crowd gathered. Some of whom joined in the taunting of the soldiers.
After several hours of standing being abuse by the mob the soldiers opened fire, killing five civilians and injuring half a dozen.
The soldiers were tried, (defended by Sam Addams), and most were acquited. Two were convicted of manslaughter and sentence to branding on the hand.
I heard this story three times whilst in Boston. None of the tellers exaggerated the story to paint the colonists in a better light. In each of the tellings the story comes over as one of a small group of tired men reacting badly to a difficult situation rather than a cold blooded act of official murder and tyranny I was most struck by the first telling of the story I heard from Buzz, a former US Navy hand and the driver of the Boston tour bus we were on. He was at pains to emphasise the youthfulness of the soldiers. Indeed the youthfulness of the protagonists on both sides. He was also at pains to ask the audience to put themselves in the place of the government soldiers, surrounded by a baying mob, pelted with excrement, shouted at and abuse for hours and eventually panicking.
I was most taken with the deliberate attempt to understand and portray the humanity of the British soldiers, when it would be very easy to paint them as flint-hearted, arrogant villians.
A rumour spread that a fire had started and a large crowd gathered. Some of whom joined in the taunting of the soldiers.
After several hours of standing being abuse by the mob the soldiers opened fire, killing five civilians and injuring half a dozen.
The soldiers were tried, (defended by Sam Addams), and most were acquited. Two were convicted of manslaughter and sentence to branding on the hand.
I heard this story three times whilst in Boston. None of the tellers exaggerated the story to paint the colonists in a better light. In each of the tellings the story comes over as one of a small group of tired men reacting badly to a difficult situation rather than a cold blooded act of official murder and tyranny I was most struck by the first telling of the story I heard from Buzz, a former US Navy hand and the driver of the Boston tour bus we were on. He was at pains to emphasise the youthfulness of the soldiers. Indeed the youthfulness of the protagonists on both sides. He was also at pains to ask the audience to put themselves in the place of the government soldiers, surrounded by a baying mob, pelted with excrement, shouted at and abuse for hours and eventually panicking.
I was most taken with the deliberate attempt to understand and portray the humanity of the British soldiers, when it would be very easy to paint them as flint-hearted, arrogant villians.
My lovely wife and I watched the end of Festival fireworks on Sunday evening with a bottle of fizz.
We can see Edinburgh Castle from our sitting room, through some trees in the Meadows. So when there are fireworks we can sit on our sofa and watch them.
Watching the end of Festival fireworks is a bit of a tradition in our house. We moved into the flat 8 years ago, on the closing night of the Festival. The first thing we did in our new home was eat fish and chips and drink a bottle of bubbly and watch the fireworks. Everytime I see them I am reminded that is the anniversary of moving into my home, with my lovely wife and that I am very happy and have lots to be happy about.
I’ve lived in my current home for longer than any other place I’ve ever lived. It beats my previous incumbancy record of 6 years by 33%.
I have moved around a lot, but now I don’t so much.
We can see Edinburgh Castle from our sitting room, through some trees in the Meadows. So when there are fireworks we can sit on our sofa and watch them.
Watching the end of Festival fireworks is a bit of a tradition in our house. We moved into the flat 8 years ago, on the closing night of the Festival. The first thing we did in our new home was eat fish and chips and drink a bottle of bubbly and watch the fireworks. Everytime I see them I am reminded that is the anniversary of moving into my home, with my lovely wife and that I am very happy and have lots to be happy about.
I’ve lived in my current home for longer than any other place I’ve ever lived. It beats my previous incumbancy record of 6 years by 33%.
I have moved around a lot, but now I don’t so much.