For Liberty: The Story of the Boston Massacre

By March 5, 1770, it was dangerous to be a soldier in Boston. Colonial businessmen opposed the taxes imposed by Great Britain. The Sons of Liberty ruled the city through boycotts and riots. British troops were sent to protect lives and property. On that late winter day, a British private found himself harassed by street toughs. Then up from the docks came sailors and ruffians armed with clubs and cutlasses. Soldiers from the British 29th Regiment of Foot came to disperse the mob. Threats made, stones thrown, then ... gunfire. In spare, gripping language, author-illustrator Timothy Decker describes the tense, violent confrontation between Boston's angry colonists and soldiers, as well as the legal aftermath that underscored the rule of law.