The Fifth of March: A Story of the Boston Massacre (Great Episodes)

Book Description

Rachel Marsh is a servant in the Boston household of John Adams. But her loyalty to the Adams family is tested by her friendship with Matthew Kilroy, a British private who leads his soldiers in firing upon a mob of Boston citizens.

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Riveting historical fiction for an intense period of American history.......2006-11-15

Who ever thought that a book on the Boston Massacre could be good reading? When it's Ann Rinaldi, you know it will be worth your time.

"The Fifth of March" explores the atmosphere in Boston in the years prior to the event known as the Boston Massacre, and the trial that occurred after it happened. The novel focuses on Rachel Marsh, an indentured servant to prominent lawyer John Adams and his family. Rachel, in her early teens, befriends lonely British soldier Matthew Kilroy, who eventually stands trial for his part in the Boston Massacre.

Much of Rachel's growth comes in the knowledge of what it means to make a choice. In Boston, anti-British sentiments are running high, and it's becoming impossible for people to remain neutral. Rachel learns, through her friendship with Matthew, that making compassionate choices and "keeping her place" may not amount to the same thing.

I found the characters surrounding Rachel (Matthew, the Adamses, the Knoxes) more intriguing than Rachel herself. Rachel is very naive for most of the novel, and her character growth comes slowly, if it all. (I kind of felt she didn't really grow until right before the book ended.) This is especially apparent in her relationship with Matthew, where she "walks out" with him but doesn't realize that their friendship may be deepening into something more. In a time when women walking out with any man but those in their family meant courtship, I'm not sure how Rachel couldn't figure this out.

Rachel is also really naive about her position in society. While her thoughts that reading will "improve" her are admirable and true, she remains ignorant about how far she can elevate in a society that respects class placement. She aspires to be, but can never be, like Abigail Adams. She doesn't realize that she can "improve" herself but may still hit a glass ceiling in relation to her class. When she does figure it out, it's too late for her to salvage the situation she finds herself in.

In many ways Rachel is the forerunner for what America will become - people who think for themselves, people who try (and do, eventually) rise about their "place" in society to become the movers and shakers of society. Her growing self-awareness and decisions at the end show this.

One thing I love about any of Rinaldi's books is her use of language. She stays true to the period she is writing about by using words that were commonplace in the time period, as well as framing sentences the way people in those periods would have said it.

Kudos to Ann Rinaldi for another great, true-to-history novel.

Romance and the Revolution.......2006-07-23

Fourteen year old Rachel Marsh lives a horrible home life. Her parents have both died, and she is left to her evil uncle. She finds her escape in becoming an indentured servant in the home of John and Abigail Adams, tending to their children and keeping things in order.
When the long prophisized war breaks out, however, everything changes.
Rachel's uncle knows that, with her position in the Adams house, she cantell him what the Adamses are talking about. When he makes this demand of her, she refuses, and her then disowns her. She is alone in the world, with mixed feelings of relief and terror, when on her way home one cold night she finds a Brittish soldier guarding the Adamses door. She demands to be let it, and ends up argueing with the soldier. They eventually begin to talk, and Rachel learns that his name is Matthew. She brings him food each night and comes out to talk, and finds herself falling in love with him. He loves her deeply himself, but they are from two completely different sides in a war.
When March the fifth arrives, Rachel is witness to the infamous Boston Massacre. That night, her life changes forever.
I really loved this book. At first, I thought it was boring, and I didnt really like it. But then as I read on I found that it was wonderfully written and had a beautiful storyline. A great historical fiction- romantic story.

Book Review for The Fifth of March.......2006-05-30

Like A Break with Charity and Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons, The Fifth of March by Ann Rinaldi is a masterpiece of young adult literature. In my opinion, this book is an example of her very best pieces of writing. The Fifth of March takes place in the times leading up to the Boston Massacre, and the problems that come after. Rachel Marsh, a servant to John and Abigail Adams, comes to be friends with the British sentry stationed outside the home, Matthew Kilory. All Rachel wants is to find a place in life; being confused with her choices and worried with upcoming riots. Fiery and passionate, Matthew has a hard time agreeing with Rachel on many events that are affecting their lives, but Rachel trusts and supports him through hardships. When she witnesses the bloody massacre, Rachel learns what she must do to protect Matthew and the other soldiers accused of murder.
I, a fan of Ann Rinaldi's books, love The Fifth of March. It contains a tossed salad of emotions and twists to the plot; causing teachers to rip the book out of your grip from not wanting to put it down. Rachel is someone who you wish was real. Kind, honest, and mindful, Rachel seems to be the perfect friend. All she wants out of life is to have a place where she can be who she wants to be. Her friend, Jane, has a mind that always seems to know that things will change, such as the importance of the common man. Henry Knox, Rachel's friend, and bookseller, teaches Rachel how to use education to better her life. The whole gang of characters in The Fifth of March will keep you entertained for the hours it takes to read this book.
As it warns on the back cover, this is a historical fiction. But, this book is mostly the lives of Rachel and John Adams, and hardly any history at all. It doesn't even describe their lifestyle very well. I would also say it is a romantic novel for teens, but it doesn't have that much romance in it either. The action in this book isn't to much; mostly in the parts about the Boston Massacre and Matthew's trial. The Fifth of March is simply a recreation of the life of an indentured servant and her friends, but still an intriguing classic.
Anyone who likes action, history, or romance would enjoy this book.

Anna Rinaldi does it again!!!!!.......2005-09-13

This is a really, really good book. It's one of the first Ann Rinaldi books I ever read, and I loved it!!! The plot is really good, and the characters are easy to like. You sorta feel Rachel's confusion, pain and joy.
This is really worth your time!!!

Rinaldi's best!!! .......2005-03-30

As a fan of Ann Rinaldi, I've read a large number of her books, and this one tops all of them!! This is one of the best historical fiction books I have ever read. Starring a young girl (Rachel Marsh) working in the Adams' household and trying to find her place in the world, this is an intruiging book packed with excitement and new discoveries. I've always loved reading about colonial times in history books--now its almost like I've lived there! This book was carefully researched and well written--I actually felt like it was happening to me! You should definitely try it.

Crispus Attucks: Black Leader of Colonial Patriots (Childhood of Famous Americans Series.)

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Crispus Attucks: Black Leader of Colonial Patriots (Childhood of Famous Americans Series.)
Dharathula H. Millender
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0020418108

Famous Trials - The Boston Massacre (Famous Trials)

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Famous Trials - The Boston Massacre (Famous Trials)
Bonnie L. Lukes
Manufacturer: Lucent Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1560064676

Book Description

Tensions between the citizens of Boston and the unwanted British redcoats in their midst had been mounting for weeks when, taunted by Bostonian mobs, British soldiers fired into the crowd, killing six outright and fatally wounding two. The trial of the soldiers was called "The Boston Massacre."

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Fascinating History Replacing Legend and Propaganda
A disturbingly slanted viewpoint
The Most Misnamed Event in American History
Very Well Written

The Boston Massacre
Hiller B. Zobel
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0393314839

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating History Replacing Legend and Propaganda.......2004-11-03

With his book The Boston Massacre, Hiller B. Zobel presents a masterful piece of reasoned, historical research to dispel one of the great myths surrounding the beginnings of the American Revolution. Zobel writes, "The Boston Massacre, in short, is a part, not only of our national history, but of our national mythology. ...Not the least of the Massacre's attractions as an object of historic contemplation is the speed with which the men of 1770 (on both sides of the Atlantic and both sides of the political fence) recognized the mythological value of what happened in King Street." Layer by layer, Zoble peels away myth and propaganda surrounding that infamous event of March fifth, 1770, so that we can view it clearly, apart from any partisan spin. What remains is an incident with little resemblance to the legend most of us learned in school.
Zobel carefully and exhaustively explains the events that led up to the violence on King Street, and introduces us to all the principle players who influenced the drama. He details the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, and the Customs Duties, all of which stirred up anger and resentment in Boston, and he tells of the violence and the threat of violence that was used by Boston's radical elements to try to counter these acts. Most importantly, he explains why the British soldiers were in Boston in the first place. (The Massachusetts Colony had no provision for an armed civil police force, and when mob violence threatened the laws and the peace as they did during the protests of the Stamp Act and Custom Duties, the only legal recourse to counter it was a military presence.)
The picture of the Boston Massacre that emerges from Zobel's book is not the classic one of ruthless British soldiers callously firing on a peaceably gathered crowd of citizens as the legend has it. Rather, he paints a picture of frightened and confused troops, backed into a corner by an angry mob that already had a reputation for perpetuating violence, and firing in confusion rather than on order. The fact that the story came down to us in the form of the legend of righteous citizens attacked by evil soldiers owes much to the propaganda abilities of Samuel Adams, and little to facts as they happened.
Just as carefully as he explained the events leading up to the massacre, Zobel details its aftermath, most notably the trial of the soldiers who fired on the mob. As an Associate Professor of Law at Boston College Law School, Zobel is well qualified to understand and dissect this chapter of the drama, and he explains it clearly and concisely. He shows us why John Adams took on the defense of the British soldiers, and why he won his case. Through detailing the records of the trial, he leaves the popular legend of the massacre in shreds.
The Boston Massacre is an important book for understanding the events that ultimately brought the colonies to revolt. It is well researched, with a good bibliography. Zobel's writing is clear, and he has a knack for holding the reader's interest even through long and detailed passages. I would recommend this book to anyone with more than a passing interest in America's late colonial period and revolution - it will not disappoint them.

Theo Logos

A disturbingly slanted viewpoint.......2001-09-04

Zobel is a lawyer, which might partly explain his thoroughly negative slant on this subject. It is, otherwise, solidly factual, both in the integrity of the sources and the density of the details.
Indeed, the style of the writing is determined by Zobel's seeming primary concern to bring to the page these details, in a way that belies a lack of writing ability. For example, one of many minor character's name (e.g. Matchett, John Codman, Elias Depree,all on one page) is brought to the page without explanation of who this person is, of what significance, mentioned often again in the same way, so that one is left without a clue as to the proportionate importance of these many names. Other times, he introduces a person with a brief biography, only to leave it for 50 pages or more before returning to him in his significant context. He has no sense of persepective for the larger events of the day - for instance, that the activities of the so-called "mob" of American radicals was hardly violent in comparison to the French Revolution or the Russian Revolution, or indeed, just about any other revolution in the history of the world. He makes no distinction between a minor act of resistance and a major one.
But what is most negative is his interpretation of these events. He forever gives the worst motives to the American rebels, especially a devious and manipulative Samuel Adams, whom he also couples with drunken "mobs", failing to point out that Adams was a non-drinker himself. While Samuel Adams is a ruthless demagogue, who is intent upon brutishly moving Boston to the brink of civil war with mob action, he at the same time admits that the "mobs" were very well controlled, and fails to point out that in almost all cases property damage occured, and that physical violence almost always amounted to harsh pranks (tar and feathering, for instance), as if property damage and the threat of violence equals murderous action. He even goes to the ridiculous extent of accusing Adams' INaction of dire motives: "Sam Adams, by his very inaction, unmistakably conveyed the threat of violence", a case of damned-if-he-does-damned-if-he-doesn't. By not pointing out that James Otis was probably manic depressive, he makes this brilliant but emotionally fragile man seem like an idiot. At the same time, he interprets British actions as merely incompetent, indeed goes out of his way to point to their lack of evil intent or even sympathy towards Boston's citizens. Failing to point out that Britain was sucking America dry, and had a thoroughly abrasive condescension towards Americans that amounted to repression. John Adams is seen as, however brilliant in only one of his trial speeches (reluctantly acknowledged by Zobel) is in cahoots with the rebels, and is mostly after a lawyer's fees. Zobel will revert to the most outlandishly convoluted motives to make a negative point about these - to him - vicious Americans, as when NOT killing Richardson and Wilmot in the Seider incident: "If the mob let them live long enough to be convicted, they both could hang." Time and again, one rebel after another, is seen in this light by Zobel, within an environment which Zobel refuses to see in any but a modern context, and even then disallowing civil disobedience which he considers oh-so-uncivil, rather than in any way sincere or justified.

Both as a work of literature, and as a work of history, Zobel fails - to be entertaining, or to be in the least fair-minded. At the time of its publication, a large number of vastly more credible historians voiced strong criticism of this book, including the pre-eminent historian of the period,Bernard Bailyn.

The Most Misnamed Event in American History.......2001-06-21

Hiller B. Zobel's The Boston Massacre has, for a few decades, been available as an example of American history as opposed to American mythology. The author is clear about the misrepresentations on both sides of the tension but it is his look at the ways in which the radicals controlled the town, the politics and the media through the use of the mob and terror tactics that is refreshing. Boston merchants and politicos, such as Samuel Adams, manipulated a situation for their own ends and began writing their own version right from the start. After the success of the American Revolution , this version would be enshrined as official history. The book starts slow and is a little dry and often confusing for those with with little previous knowledge of pre-Revolutionary Boston politics but it picks up speed and energy as it races toward the day of the Massacre itself. A refreshing look at an event that was small in historical impact but large in legend.

Very Well Written.......2000-06-17

This is a very readable account of the situation in Boston at the beggining of the revolutionary war. The various insurrections which lead to the Boston massacre are examined in a light which shows the revolutionaries as the drunken, violent mob that it indeed was. A very well written and balanced account of what is a very misunderstood and propagandized event.

The Boston Massacre (Graphic Library: Graphic History)

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The Boston Massacre (Graphic Library: Graphic History)
Michael Burgan
Manufacturer: Capstone Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0736862021

Lydia the Patriot: The Boston Massacre (1770) (Sisters in Time #5)

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Lydia the Patriot: The Boston Massacre (1770) (Sisters in Time #5)
Susan Martins Miller
Manufacturer: Barbour Publishing, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Boston Massacre (Cornerstones of Freedom. Second Series)

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The Boston Massacre (Cornerstones of Freedom. Second Series)
Andrew Santella
Manufacturer: Children's Press (CT)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 0516242261

The Fifth of March: A Story of the Boston Massacre

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The Fifth of March: A Story of the Boston Massacre
Ann Rinaldi
Manufacturer: Audio Bookshelf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1883332982

Boston Massacre: Five Colonists Killed by British Soldiers (Headlines from History)

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Boston Massacre: Five Colonists Killed by British Soldiers (Headlines from History)
Allison Stark Draper
Manufacturer: PowerKids Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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The Boston Massacre (The American Adventure #10)

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Another good book from "The American Adventure" series.

The Boston Massacre (The American Adventure #10)
Susan Martins Miller
Manufacturer: Barbour Publishing, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1577481577

Customer Reviews:

Another good book from "The American Adventure" series........2004-10-31

This is the tenth book in The American Adventure series. This series tells about the lives of children from many generations of a fictional family throughout American history, from the settling of Plymouth by the Pilgrims through the end of World War II.

It's March of 1770 in Boston, and tensions are high, as the Patriots grow angrier each day that British soldiers continue to occupy Boston. Ten-year-old Stephen Lankford is very worried about his impulsive twelve-year-old sister, Lydia, who taunts the soldiers without thinking about the consequences. Lydia, a determined Patriot, accused Stephen of being a Loyalist, but all he wants is for his family to be safe. He feels the family is divided. His two uncles are at odds, as one is a Loyalist and the other a Patriot. Stephen's own father, who owns a newspaper, sides with the Patriots but is against the extreme measures the Sons of Liberty, the group Stephen's older brother William belongs to, want to take. When the Boston Massacre divides Boston even more, Stephen begins to fear his family will never come back together.

Readers who enjoyed the other books in the American Adventure series will be sure to want to read this one as well, as it continues the story of the Lankford family from the previous book, "Boston Revolts." I also recommend this book to new readers who enjoy historical fiction about Revolutionary War times. I look forward to reading more books from this series.

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