The Fifth Of March: A Story of the Boston Massacre

The arrival of the British soldiers escalates the conflict in Boston’s streets and begins the buildup of tension that erupts on the night of the Boston Massacre. Rachel experiences this tension in Chapter 6 when she is mocked by the British soldiers. The soldiers unwittingly plant the seed of an identity crisis in Rachel that mirrors the one taking place in Boston more generally. They call her an “American girl” in a mocking tone: At this historical moment, many Americans continue to see themselves as British, and the soldiers mean to insult Rachel by stripping her of her British identity. By establishing Rachel as different from British women, these soldiers can justify their rudeness and aggression toward her. This leads to Rachel’s observation that the British are forcing the Americans into being American. Later, when Henry Knox tells her “you have become a plain American” (169), she takes it as the complement he intends. By this point, she has come to understand Americanness as synonymous with self-determination. Just as the fledgling nation is learning to chart its own course and accept The Responsibility that Comes with Choice, so is Rachel.

Rachel’s interaction with Matthew in the following chapter offers a contrast to her alienating interaction with these unnamed British soldiers. While the soldiers seek to rob Rachel of her identity and her rights by calling her American, Matthew humanizes both himself and her by giving her his name. Initially, he demands her name in a governmental capacity, but by giving her his name in turn, he transforms this authoritarian transaction into a human exchange of trust. This forces Rachel to realize that Matthew is more than Boston’s enemy. His evident hunger and exhaustion leads her to develop empathy for him as an individual caught up in a conflict much larger than himself. Through her friendships with Matthew and Jane—two people on opposite sides of the conflict—Rachel learns The Necessity of Seeing Both Sides.

The relationship between Rachel and Matthew shows how external tensions impede people’s ability to care about one another. When the two first start spending time together, they can see past the conflict around them and enjoy each other’s company as individuals. However, as the tensions between the Patriots and soldiers increase, Rachel and Matthew begin to argue, each viewing the conflict from the viewpoint they have been socialized to believe. As a Boston girl, Rachel has witnessed the injustice perpetrated by the Crown and how those injustices have negatively affected herself and those she cares for. By contrast, Matthew is a soldier in the British army who has been taught that all people in the colonies are the enemy. Each of them is a product of the world they come from, and both find it difficult to change because they want to believe what they know is right and true. The death of the Adamses’ child in Chapter 10 shows that political divisions do not preclude personal empathy. Faced with a personal tragedy, Matthew comes to offer his condolences regardless of the political divisions between himself and the Adams family. This action, though small, shows that all people are capable of empathy, even for those they have been taught are the enemy. Matthew’s action here also shows The Importance of Independent Moral Judgment, as both he and Rachel learn to make their own choices about who they are and what they believe.

Inadvertently and ironically, Uncle Eb offers Rachel another opportunity to grow in these chapters. Standing up to Uncle Eb and refusing to play his games gives Rachel new confidence in who she is. Refusing Eb’s demands means putting herself at risk, as Eb has threatened to tell the Adamses about Rachel’s relationship with Jane. By telling them herself and accepting the consequences, she shows that she is ready for the responsibility that comes with choice. In doing so, she begins to learn what liberty is, and she sees why the people are determined to fight for it.

The increasing attacks from the Patriots, however, make Rachel question whether liberty is truly good. Matthew is barred from fighting back against Patriot attacks, and this prohibition builds up the inner tension that is released on the night of the Boston Massacre. Being forced to stand down as the Patriots hurl objects and insults inflames the conflict and shows that there is violence in not taking action. The British orders are designed to force the Patriots to lose at their own game and to show the chaos that comes with too much liberty. Up until now, the Patriots have attacked anyone they wish at the slightest provocation, not caring who their actions hurt so long as British loyalists are suffering. As they continue to do so, the novel shows that there are consequences for actions and that, while people are free to act as they decide, this does not mean they are free from the consequences of those actions.