5. Document Project 5: The Boston Massacre

Quiz for Document 5.8 Account of Captain Thomas Preston, June 25, 1770

Quiz for Document 5.8: Account of Captain Thomas Preston, June 25, 1770

Choose the best answer to each question.

1. According to Captain Preston, what did he believe to be the intentions of the gathered crowd outside of the customs house?

To murder all of the soldiers

To steal the king’s money

To negotiate an end to the Townsend Acts

To overthrow the king’s government

2. According to Preston’s own account, did he order his men to load or fire?

He ordered neither.

He ordered them to load but not to fire.

He ordered them to fire but had not given an order to load.

He ordered them to both load and fire.

3. In his statement, what did he claim the gathered crowd did just before his soldiers began to fire?

Killed a customs official

Burned the customs house

Struck the soldiers with clubs

Tarred and feathered a tax collector

4. On what key point did Preston’s own case rest?

Whether the crowd was armed

Whether the crowd was violent

Whether his weapon was loaded

Whether he gave the order to fire

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