The Bloody Massacre

In this rare surviving print, famed patriot and engraver Paul Revere depicted a deadly clash between colonists and British soldiers in Boston in 1770—an event now known as “The Boston Massacre” leading up to the Revolution. Revere’s engraving was on sale within three weeks of the event. It was not intended to be an accurate depiction of the day, but served instead as a powerful propaganda tool that rallied the colonists against British policies. This print, still in its original frame, was owned by hatmaker Emerson Cogswell, who fled to Concord during the Siege of Boston.