Boston Massacre Site, Historic memorial site in Boston, US
Boston Massacre Site is a small circular marker on the ground along the Freedom Trail, just outside the Old State House in downtown Boston. The marker consists of a ring of stones set into the pavement, and it sits directly in the flow of daily foot traffic near busy crosswalks and old brick buildings.
The shooting happened on King Street on March 5, 1770, when an angry crowd faced a small group of British soldiers outside the Customs House. After the violence, Captain Thomas Preston and eight soldiers stood trial, and John Adams served as their defense lawyer before most were acquitted.
Each year on March 5, people gather at the marker to watch a reenactment of the argument and shooting, with locals playing both townspeople and Redcoats. Tour guides who lead groups along the Freedom Trail often stop here and ask visitors to imagine the noise of that evening while modern buses and taxis roll past.
When you visit, look down at the pavement to find the stone circle because it is easy to miss among the moving crowds near State Street. Standing to the side of the marker gives you a better view and keeps you clear of people trying to enter the Old State House.
The marker is not the original ground from 1770; the street level today is higher than it was then, so the actual spot is buried beneath the current pavement. The first person killed, Crispus Attucks, was a man of African and Native American background, and his role was later highlighted in lithographs of the event.
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