The 5th of March

On the Fifth of March the Lobsterbacks tired
Of months of abuse and so they fired
On a crowd of Bostonians. Rebellion now sure.
Known forever as The Boston Massacre.

Click Here to Listen -- Once the audio clip starts, minimize it so you can see the words at the same time.

Carol's Comments: This is one of the very few historical ditties I have created which doesn't include the year. Probably a mistake in retrospect. But there is some cool stuff tucked away in these four lines. For one thing it roots this activity in the City of Boston.  Additionally, The Fifth of March is a phrase that's often used to mark this event in history. Many kids don't connect this phrase with the more commonly known " Boston Massacre". The second line reminds students that the soldiers had been subject to taunts and abuses, creating a tension that had been building for some time. The picture shown is a source of controversy itself. It is often hailed as some of the first misleading propaganda as it shows the soldiers lined up precision-like, firing on a defenseless crowd. Of course, a bit of reading on this will indicate that was not the case. In fact, the leader of the soldiers was put on trial and acquitted. And who was his hot shot defense attorney?  None other than John Adams, soon to be the leader of the push to break away from the British, to a form a "more perfect union". 

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