Why did John Adams defend British soldiers accused of participation in the Boston Massacre?

Answer 1

• John Adams defended the British because he was generally a good guy. And when he was asked to he was skeptic at first but decided it was the right thing to do. And he was also ashamed at how the Americans acted during the Boston Massacre because he knew that it wasn't the British' fault it was the Americans. He knew what he had to do was right and he did it justice.
• It wasn't necessarily the Americans' fault. No one knows who fired first. Could have been the British, but, either way, that single shot gave that single alarm to fire. And, he didn't defend them because he felt like it was the right thing to do, it was mainly for one reason, a man can't be punished for a crime they didn't commit, or a crime which can not be proven. And, He chose to defend them. One more thing, it wasn't because, "he was generally a good guy." He was a guy who knew what was right at the moment.
• And, to make a more simple answer, John Adams defended the British Soldiers, merely because it wasn't their fault for firing on us. When they fired, it was in self defense. They weren't sure who fired first, but whoever fired, startled the British, therefor giving the alarm to fire. John Adams knew this, however, and when the people began to fuss, he defended the British, because, he felt that, no man should be punished or convicted of an act of self defense. Which, in fact, we would have done the exact same thing!

Answer 2

John Adams defended the British Soldiers because he wanted to show Britain that colonial courts were fair. John Adams tried to prove that the soldiers had been protecting themselves from the crowd.

Answer 3

It was a matter of principle. He believed that everyone had the right to a lawyer and a fair trial, and since nobody else would defend them, he did. He also came to believe that they were the victims of the incident. As he said, "Facts are stubborn things."

Answer 4

He wanted to show the world that the colonists believed in justice, even if the British government did not.

Answer 5

because john Adams thought everyone deserved a fare trial.