Why Is Patrick Carr Important

Patrick Carr was not a politician, or a general, or anything of much influence. He was a common working man. Although he became important to the American Revolution after death. More importantly, where, when, and by whom he was killed. Also what he said in the few days before he passed on.
Patrick Carr was born between 1739 and 1740. He was an Irish journeyman and apprentice to “Mr. Field, a leather-breeches-maker” (Boston 1775). He grew up in Ireland and was familiar with soldiers and street mobs. So on March 5th, 1770, (date of the Boston Massacre) Carr probably knew that the British were the insinuators of the disturbance. While traversing the street, the soldiers fired and Carr was shot. The bullet went through his abdomen, or stomach. Death was
His doctor, Doctor Jefferies, later said that Carr did not blame the soldier who shot him. Carr was surprised that they did not shoot sooner. His ‘deathbed testimony’ was presented to court by Dr. Jefferies as follows, with Jeffries repeating what Carr said to him. “Prosecutor- Were the soldiers greatly abused? Jefferies- Yes, they were. Prosecutor- Would they have been hurt if they had not fired? Jefferies- Yes. Prosecutor- So they fired in self-defense? Jefferies- Yes, and he did not blame whoever it was that hit him.” This testimony was believed due to the fact that the jury did not think a dying man or his doctor would lie (Boston). This short excerpt from a newspaper article about the Boston massacre supports Carr’s testimony about the soldiers being harassed, “The noise brought people together; and John Hicks, a young lad, coming up, knocked the soldier down but let him get up again; and more lads gathering, drove them back to the barrack where the boys stood some time as it were to keep them in (Boston Massacre Historical).” Carr’s words let the soldier that shot him go free and spread unrest among the colonists. Samuel Adams took