Various monumental events in United States history, or any other country for that matter, tend to only give credit to a few figures. For example, the “discovery” of the Americas is attributed to Christopher Columbus solely, not much is spoken of the men that accompanied him on voyage. These figures become glorified and receive a significant amount of credit as if it were only them alone that participated with no outside help. It is certain that these pivotal moments could not have been so successful and memorable without the “little” people that were involved. Alfred F. Young’s book ‘The Shoemaker and the Tea Party,” tells the tale of an ordinary townsman whose engagement in the midst of the revolution. George Robert Twelves exemplifies…show more content… Granted that he did own his own shoemaking shop, in the city alone contained about sixty to seventy shoemakers that catered to the needs of the local men according to Young. Though primarily unknown due to lack of records. It is speculation that Hewes served some of the middling folks and his immediate neighbors due to the placement of his shop. Either way, income was rather limited, if not, non-existent for poor Mr. Hewes. While some in these circumstances would marry a woman whom had land as a way of social mobility, George Robert Twelves Hewes married a young woman who came from a poor but respectable family. Hewes remained a poor ordinary commoner throughout his 109 years of living until the revolution where he would be the poor extraordinary…show more content… Tensions between the presence of the British troops and the civilians had been rising and it personally touched George Robert Twelves Hewes. A soldier had even cheated Hewes for a pair of shoes that he made and was never compensated for. Hewes had also witnessed, according to Young, a woman getting hit to the ground and stripped of her bonnet by a soldier. These circumstances, one could say, acted as the catalyst to the three attributes to the Boston Massacre. The first was the murder of Christopher Seider whom was all of 11 years old by a custom informer. Next, the fight that occurred two days prior between the soldiers and worker of Gray’s ropewalk; which occurred because off duty British soldiers were moonlighting. And lastly, events that occurred on the night of the Massacre which ranged from a barber trying to collect an overdue bill from a British officer to the harassment of group of boys. Though Hewes was not on the forefront fighting amongst the people, he watched along while the confrontation took place. The images of the Massacre stayed with Hewes, after all, he knew four of the five men killed and even caught one of them in his arms. All of them workingmen, which it could have been him. After this encounter, Hewes become heavily militant post- Boston Massacre. Hewes began to engage in politics, giving
