Episode 4: The Boston Massacre

The Untitled History Podcast · Mar 5, 2026 · 1h 6m

On the evening of the 5th of March 1770, a ragged volley of shots rang out on the streets of Boston, Massachusetts. That volley would change the history of the world. The incident, in which British troops fired into an angry crowd, killing five civilians, would become known as the ‘Boston Massacre’. Thanks to figures such as Sam Adams and Paul Revere, it would also become part of America’s founding myth.

In today’s show, we’re going to look at why tensions in Boston were so high in 1770. We’ll dig beneath the confused accounts and look at what actually happened that fateful night. And we’ll…