Question

captain thomas prestons account of the boston massacre, 1770
on monday night about 8 oclock two soldiers were attacked & beat... in my way there i saw the people in great commotion, & heard them use the most cruel & horrid threats against the troops. in a few minutes after i reached the guard, about 100 people passed it & went towards the custom house where the kings money is lodged.
anonymous account of the boston massacre, 1770
samuel drowne declares that, about nine oclock of the evening...he saw about fourteen or fifteen soldiers...armed with naked cutlasses, swords, & came upon the inhabitants of the town... & abused some, & violently assaulted others as they met them; most of whom were without so much as a stick in their hand to defend themselves, as he very clearly could discern, it being moonlight, & himself being one of the assaulted persons.
which conclusion on the boston massacre best represents the importance of historiography?
a the anonymous account was written from the viewpoint of the colonists.
b samuel drowne supported the british account of the boston massacre.
c the british soldiers were attacked by the townspeople of boston.
d the colonists were motivated by financial reasons.

Explanation:

Historiography emphasizes the importance of different viewpoints in historical accounts. The two accounts here show different perspectives on the Boston Massacre. The first is from a British - related figure (Captain Thomas Preston) and the second is an anonymous account which seems to be from a colonist's perspective. This highlights how different viewpoints shape our understanding of history. Option A focuses on the perspective of the account which is key in historiography. Option B is incorrect as the anonymous account by Samuel Drowne does not support the British account. Option C is a fact but does not represent the importance of historiography. Option D has no basis in the given accounts.

Answer:

A. The Anonymous Account was written from the viewpoint of the colonists.