Written by Lou Rocco
The most famous incident of gun violence in American history is undoubtedly the Boston Massacre. But violence perpetrated by the state didn’t end with British rule; we are all too familiar with it in the 21st century. How were the soldiers who perpetrated the Boston Massacre trained to de-escalate conflict? What responsibility do citizens have to make sure their soldiers and police are properly trained to do what society asks of them?
Revolutionary Spaces’ exhibit Training the Force, Then and Now, currently on display at the Old State House, attempts to shed light on these questions.
Bloody Beginnings
While it may seem extreme for soldiers to have occupied the town, this was normal for the time and place. Police forces did not exist in the 18th century British world, so soldiers were the default option for quelling riots, rebellions, and other disorders1. Despite being frequently called upon to serve as armed peacekeepers, British soldiers weren’t trained in skills like de-escalation, peer intervention, or crowd control, which help reduce tension and the risk of bloodshed.
Training British Troops
The training of British soldiers in the 18th century was broken into two phases: an introductory or “material” phase and a second, “mechanical” phase. During the “material” phase, recruits were taught the basic skills needed to join and contribute to their units. These skills included simple postures, movements, marching, and firearm training1.
During the secondary “mechanical” phase, new and veteran soldiers alike endlessly drilled the training exercises from the “material” phase. The goal was to make executing basic skills a matter of reflex for soldiers1.
Neither what nor how these soldiers were trained was designed to avoid violence; these soldiers were trained for war, not policing. It is little wonder then that British soldiers often left casualties in their wake when they occupied towns across the British empire, including in Boston.
What Can We Learn?
The Boston Massacre and the inappropriate training that British troops were given to police cities raise intriguing questions. What skills should armed agents of the state be trained in? How much responsibility do they bear if they aren’t trained properly for what society asks of them?
These questions not only apply to British soldiers in the 18th century, but American police today—especially as it pertains to use of excessive and fatal force.
A Problem with Police
There is no national database on police use of excessive force, but newspapers, individuals, and the federal government have been collecting available data on this subject. The data suggest that America has a police violence problem.
Since at least 2015, American police have killed approximately 1,000 civilians per year2. According to the Washington Post’s Fatal Force database, that number reached 1,096 in 2022. The Fatal Force database also suggests that American police shoot and kill people of color at a disproportionate rate. This is especially true of Black Americans, who make up only 13 percent of the national population, but are shot and killed by police at more than twice the rate of white Americans2.
Life Saving Training
These organizations include the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), which specializes in de-escalation training; Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE), which specializes in peer intervention strategies and tactics; and Gracie Survival Tactics (GST), which specializes in defensive, non-fatal tactics.
Revolutionary Spaces’ Training the Force, Then and Now exhibit at the Old State House explores these issues, questions, and solutions in greater detail. Come share your thoughts on training and other reforms for American police before this exhibit closes in March 2023!
Sources:
- J.A. Houlding, Fit for Service: The Training of the British Army, 1715–1795 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1981).
- Staff, Washington Post. “Police Shootings Database 2015-2023: Search by Race, Age, Department.” The Washington Post. WP Company, December 5, 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/investigations/police-shootings-database/.
On Washington Street
- PATRIOT OR FOOL? CRISPUS ATTUCKS AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
As civil rights leaders argued for basic freedoms for African Americans as American citizens, Crispus Attucks became a symbol of the continuous contribution of blacks to the nation. Many viewed his actions on that fateful day in March 1770 as a demonstration of the deep patriotism of blacks since the founding of this country, patriotism ...Read more → - ANTHONY BURNS AND THE FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was a contested law that gave Southern slaveholders the power to intrude in Northern cities and take alleged fugitive slaves back to captivity. Animated by the hotbed of abolitionism taking hold in the city, Boston activists worked to maintain the freedom of fugitive slaves and even fought violently to ...Read more → - REINVENTING CRISPUS ATTUCKS FOR THE ABOLITIONIST MOVEMENT
Most Americans today recognize the Paul Revere print of the Boston Massacre. Thanks to every high school U.S. history textbook, Revere’s print is the image that comes to our minds when we think of the “Bloody Massacre” on March 5, 1770. But when we look at the famous print today, we realize that someone is ...Read more → - Replicating John Hancock’s Clothing
This post was originally published on the Bostonian Society’s On King Street blog in 2017, written by Sira Dooley Fairchild, former Collections Manager In order to preserve John Hancock’s clothing, we are currently in the process of having replicas made. These replicas will allow us to return the originals to dark storage and therefore preserve them ...Read more →