Adams' Defense of the British Soldiers

On This Document

In December 1770, John Adams defended the British soldiers accused of the Boston Massacre — at considerable risk to his political career. His closing argument that 'facts are stubborn things' won acquittals for six of the eight defendants and stands as a founding moment of the American commitment to due process.

Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. Nor is the law less stable than the fact; if an assault was made to endanger their lives, the law is clear, they had a right to kill in their own defence. If it was not so severe as to endanger their lives, yet if they were assaulted at all, struck and abused by blows of any sort, by snow-balls, oyster-shells, cinders, clubs, or sticks of any kind; this was a provocation, for which the law reduces the offence of killing, down to manslaughter.