Boston commemorated the massacre every year with a public lecture, lighted images of the Revere scene, or lighted depictions of the trampling of Liberty or the Magna Carta. Another recurring theme highlighted in these commemorations was that Ebenezer Richardson, convicted of shooting Christopher Seider in a riot on February 22, had escaped punishment. To many patriots, Richardson’s past was particularly troubling as he had served as a confidential informer for British Customs officials in Boston until his cover was blown and he became officially employed by the Customs office. The death of eleven-year-old Seider at the hands of a loyalist like Richardson fueled the already growing tensions in Boston that led to the massacre on March 5, 1770.
Evaluating the Evidence