Question

document 2 - eyewitness account by charles hobby (a boston laborer)
charles hobby, a boston laborer
between the hours of nine and ten oclock, being in my masters house, was alarmed with the cry of fire, i ran down as far as the town - house, and then heard that the soldiers and the inhabitants were fighting in the alley... i then left them and went to king street. i then saw a party of soldiers loading their muskets about the custom - house door, after which they all shouldered. i heard some of the inhabitants cry out, \heave no snow balls,\ others cried \they dare not fire.\
captain preston was then standing by the soldiers, when a snow ball struck a grenadier, who immediately fired, captain preston standing close by him. the captain then spoke distinctly, \fire, fire!\ i was then within four feet of capt. preston, and know him well. the soldiers fired as fast as they could one after another. i saw the mulatto crispus attucks fall, and samuel gray went to look at him, one of the soldiers, at a distance of about four or five yards, pointed his piece directly for the said grays head and fired. mr. gray, after struggling, turned himself right round upon his heel and fell dead.
inhabitant: a person who lives in a space.
muskets: a light gun with a long muzzle used in the revolutionary war.
grenadier: a type of english soldier.
distinctly: clearly
mulatto: a person of mixed african and white ancestry.

1. according to charles hobby (document 2), who fired the first shot and why?

a. a grenadier (a soldier) because he was hit with a snowball
b. captain preston because he was hit with a snowball
c. a colonist because he was hit by a british soldier
d. a british soldier because he was hit with a club (wooden stick)

1. according to charles hobby (document 2), why did he come out of his \masters house\?

a. he heard shots being fired
b. he was \alarmed with the cry of fire\ (he heard someone yelling \fire!\)
c. he heard fighting

Explanation:

For question 4, the text states "when a snow - ball struck a grenadier, who immediately fired", so the first shot was fired by a grenadier because he was hit with a snowball. For question 5, it says "Between the hours of nine and ten o'clock, being in my master's house, was alarmed with the cry of fire, I ran down", indicating he came out due to hearing the cry of fire.

Answer:

1. a. A grenadier (a soldier) because he was hit with a snowball
2. b. He was "alarmed with the cry of fire" (he heard someone yelling "fire!")