Propaganda: Paul Revere’s Boston Massacre

Warning: Undefined variable $num in /home/shroutdo/public_html/courses/wp-content/plugins/single-categories/single_categories.php on line 126

Warning: Undefined variable $posts_num in /home/shroutdo/public_html/courses/wp-content/plugins/single-categories/single_categories.php on line 127

As the Revolution dawned and the colonies needed to drum up support for their cause, propaganda began to be released about the British. Paul Revere’s painting of the Boston Massacre helps to convey the colonies’ message that the British were the enemy. It is an excellent example of propaganda, as it distorts the truth and uses great symbolism to accomplish its goal, which is convincing the colonists that the war was just. Even though the American Revolution was mostly driven by wealthy individuals, they relied on the support of the lower classes.

The iconography that is used in the painting is clear and conveys the intended message. This can be seen through the use of red throughout the painting; the deep red color is only used two times, one for the blood of the “massacred” citizens and the other for the coats of the British. This conveys the message that the British are evil and equates the blood that is spilled with the British themselves. Likewise, the colonists are wearing normal, muted clothes, which distinguishes them from the British. This distorts the truth for several reasons, namely the name “massacre.” As the painting itself notes, relatively few people were killed however, the painting makes it seems like more individuals were killed. Similarly, the painting does not show any conflicts prior to the event, and simply shows what the aftermath was.

As Matt Everett noted, this represents an important cultural distinction between the British and the colonists. This cultural distinction was important because although they were similar in culture, there was a difference in laws in regards to trade. As previously discussed in weeks prior by the authors of The Atlantic World, most aspects of the Atlantic world as a whole were driven by the importance of trade and wealth. Because the laws complained about by the wealthier colonists did not affect the whole of society, propaganda was necessary to change their opinions of a group that was so culturally similar to themselves.

Source

The Boston Massacre by Paul Revere

…read more