The Boston Massacre: How It Contributed to the Presumption of Innocence and Reasonable Doubt

Quick answer: Why did John Adams defend the British soldiers after the Boston Massacre?

John Adams, a patriot attorney, agreed to defend Captain Thomas Preston and eight British soldiers charged with murder after the March 5, 1770, Boston Massacre because he believed every accused person deserved a fair trial. Preston and six soldiers were acquitted, and two were convicted of manslaughter. The trials are remembered for early statements of the presumption of innocence and reasonable doubt.

On March 5, 1770, British soldiers fired into a crowd in Boston, killing five people. Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and others used the shootings to rally opposition to British rule. A crowd had gathered around a British sentry guarding the Custom House. They insulted him, he struck one man with his bayonet, and they answered with snow and stones. Reinforcements came under Captain Thomas Preston. When the crowd began striking soldiers with clubs, they fired, killing five and wounding six. The dead included Crispus Attucks, a dockworker of mixed heritage; Samuel Gray, a rope maker; sailor James Caldwell; Samuel Maverick; and Patrick Carr, who died days later. Preston and eight soldiers were charged with murder. Not far away, a 34-year-old Boston attorney made a difficult decision. Although a devoted patriot, John Adams agreed to defend them, risking his reputation and his practice because he believed they deserved a fair trial. In the soldiers' defense he argued that it is better "that many guilty persons should escape unpunished, than one innocent person should suffer." If the innocent come to believe that good conduct offers no protection, he warned, "there would be an end to all security what so ever." The trial is often cited as one of the earliest uses of the phrase "reasonable doubt" in an American courtroom, as the jury was told that if they had any reasonable doubt of the soldiers' guilt, they must acquit. Preston and six soldiers were acquitted, and two were convicted of manslaughter.

Why it matters for leaders: Adams understood that a cause worth fighting for has to give a fair hearing even to the people it opposes.

Q: What was the outcome of the Boston Massacre trials?

A: Captain Preston and six soldiers were acquitted. Two soldiers were convicted of manslaughter and branded on the thumb.

Q: Who was killed in the Boston Massacre?

A: Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Samuel Maverick, and Patrick Carr.

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By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation