Henry Pelham

Top Row: Site of Copley Home,42 Beacon Street, Beacon Hill, and Copley Square, Back Bay. 

Boston Painter John S. Copley, Caught Between the Tories and the Rebels During the American Revolution

America’s first great portrait artist, John Singleton Copley (1737-1815) was born in Boston on July 3, 1738. He was the son of Irish immigrants who emigrated to Boston in the…

America’s first great portrait artist, John Singleton Copley (1737-1815) was born in Boston on July 3, 1738. He was the son of Irish immigrants who emigrated to Boston in the 1730s. John’s parents, Richard Copley and Mary Singleton from County Clare, were married in County Limerick before emigrating to Boston. Right after their son John…

The Fruits of Arbitrary Power, or the Bloody Massacre by Henry Pelham Courtesy of Massachusetts Historical Society

Henry Pelham, 21-Year Old Artist, Drew the Boston Massacre Illustration of the 1770 Incident, Not Paul Revere

On March 28, 1770, following the now famous Boston Massacre that occurred on March 5, local engraver Paul Revere released a depiction of the event that was quickly printed and distributed…

On March 28, 1770, following the now famous Boston Massacre that occurred on March 5, local engraver Paul Revere released a depiction of the event that was quickly printed and distributed widely in the colonies, helping to fan the flames of rebellion. Revere, famous for the midnight ride to Lexington and Concord in 1775, was a…

Henry Pelham's original illustration, 'The Fruits of Arbitrary Power, or the Bloody Massacre

Two British Soldiers Charged with Manslaughter in the Boston Massacre Killings, December 5, 1770

On December 5, 1770, nine months to the day after the Boston Massacre, two of the nine soldiers in the British regiment,  Matthew Kilroy and Hugh Montgomery, were found guilty of…

On December 5, 1770, nine months to the day after the Boston Massacre, two of the nine soldiers in the British regiment,  Matthew Kilroy and Hugh Montgomery, were found guilty of manslaughter for the killing of five local Boston men; the other seven soldiers were exonerated. The incident in March, known as the Boston Massacre, helped…

18th Century Painter John S. Copley Born in Boston to Irish Immigrant Parents, Born on July 3, 1738

America’s first great portrait artist, John Singleton Copley (1737-1815) was born in Boston on July 3, 1738. He was the son of Irish immigrants who emigrated to Boston in the…

America’s first great portrait artist, John Singleton Copley (1737-1815) was born in Boston on July 3, 1738. He was the son of Irish immigrants who emigrated to Boston in the 1730s. John’s parents, Richard Copley and Mary Singleton from County Clare, were married in County Limerick before emigrating to Boston. Right after their son John…

The Irish Role in the Boston Massacre

March 5, 2020 Ceremony at the Boston Massacre Grave Site March 5, 2020, Boston marks the 250th anniversary of the Boston Massacre, a transformative event in history that launched the road…

March 5, 2020 Ceremony at the Boston Massacre Grave Site March 5, 2020, Boston marks the 250th anniversary of the Boston Massacre, a transformative event in history that launched the road to revolution in the American colonies. The Massacre took place on a wintry Monday night on March 5, 1770, when British troops fired into a…

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