Image Analysis on the Bloddy Massacre

1039 Words5 Pages
Olivia Nelson March 29th 2013 Image Analysis: “The Bloody Massacre” By: Paul Revere Image Analysis The title of the image is “The Bloody Massacre in King-Street;” an engraving illustrated by Paul Revere who was a silversmith and devoted colonialist. The engraving was completed in 1770; just three weeks after the Boston Massacre took place in Boston, Massachusetts and is known to be the most effective piece of war propaganda in American history. (The Glider Lehram) The engraving shows British soldiers lined up and an officer giving an order to fire at the colonists grouped unknowingly, suggesting that the British soldiers were the aggressors. The colonists are shown reacting to the attack with forgiving, innocent faces while the British are pictured with sharp and defining features firing musket shots. The soldier’s stances are quite aggressive and well trained for battle . The engraving captures British soldiers as if they are delighted in the violence occurring. Among the male colonists, there is a woman in the back of the crowd in agony symbolizing the corrupt acts of the British and makes an assumption that women were in involved during the massacre. There is a dog pictured in the center of the two groups who seems to be absent-minded to his surroundings. Also, African American Crispus Attucks who had escaped slavery is pictured in the lower left hand corner as one of the first men to die in the massacre; however he is not pictured as an African American (The Glider Lehram). The only words in the actual engraving are “Butchers Hall” and “Customs House” both on the British sides. The text below the engraving describes the picture as a tribute to the fallen colonists, and acts as a great propaganda to the readers to join as patriots. After the Seven Years War and Pontiac’s Rebellion was over, the British reasserted

More about Image Analysis on the Bloddy Massacre

Open Document