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Primary sourcePainting1770

The Bloody Massacre

Paul Revere · 1770

A hand-colored engraving by Paul Revere of the 1770 Boston Massacre, copied from Henry Pelham's design and used as anti-British propaganda.

Revere engraved and colored this print himself, using his artistic skill to spread anti-British propaganda after the Boston Massacre.

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Hand-colored engraving titled 'The Bloody Massacre' showing British redcoat soldiers firing volleys of musket smoke at a crowd in King Street, Boston, with bodies on the ground and a Town House building in the background. Verse text and a caption appear below.
Paul Revere, The Bloody Massacre, 1770. Engraving.

About this source

What it is

This is a hand-colored engraving made in 1770 by Paul Revere, showing British soldiers firing on a crowd of Boston civilians in King Street. Revere based his design closely on a drawing by Henry Pelham.

Why it matters

The image turned a violent street clash, later called the Boston Massacre, into a powerful piece of political propaganda. It shows soldiers firing in an organized line at a defenseless crowd, with verses underneath blaming the British. Revere, better known as a silversmith, used his engraving skills to shape public opinion against British rule, helping stir anger that fed into the Revolution.

Look closer

  • How does the arrangement of soldiers and civilians try to make you feel about each side?
  • Why might Revere have copied another artist's design instead of drawing the scene himself?
  • What does the verse text add that the picture alone does not show?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Paul Revere on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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