Episode Details

In this episode, we explore how a haircut bill sparked a massacre. What if I told you the event that sparked the American Revolution didn't start with some, you know, grand philosophical debate over human liberty? Right, like some noble speech in a hall somewhere. Exactly. But instead, it actually started with a teenager screaming in the street about an unpaid haircutting bill. It really is wild when you look at the actual history. It is. So you're joining us for a deep dive into an event you probably think you know, the Boston Massacre. We are pulling from a really comprehensive historical overview of what actually happened on that freezing night of March 5, 1770. And the mission today is to essentially strip away centuries of that oil painting mythology. Yeah, because when you look closely at the source material, the birth of the nation wasn't this masterpiece of noble men making clean, heroic decisions. No, not at all. It was sources note that one of the men helping to lead this incredibly aggressive crowd is Crispus Attucks, a mixed -race former slave. Right. And Private White realizes he's in deep trouble. He retreats up the steps of the Custom House, essentially backing himself into a corner and calls for backup. Which is when Captain Thomas Preston shows up, right? Exactly. Captain Preston and seven soldiers from the 29th Regiment push their way through this massive angry crowd with fixed bayonets to rescue him. And among those seven is a private named Hugh Montgomery. Wait, I have to stop you here because I saw this in the notes and couldn't believe it. Henry Knox, the guy who goes on to become George Washington's famous artillery general in the revolution, he's just casually hanging out in the crowd as a 19 -year -old bookseller. He is. History is full of these bizarre