The Fifth Of March: A Story of the Boston Massacre

The Fifth of March by Ann Rinaldi (Harcourt, 1993) is a historical young adult novel that explores the leadup to and aftermath of the Boston Massacre. Told from the perspective of a young girl seeking her place in the world, the novel explores themes of choice, identity, and what it truly means to be free. The book was widely praised for its deep dive into historical details and its even-handed portrayal of a charged historical event. Ann Rinaldi (1934-2021) was an American historian, journalist, and fiction author best known for her historical novels. She penned over 50 novels, eight of which were recognized as notable by the American Library Association in 2000.

This guide follows the 1993 first Gulliver Books paperback edition of The Fifth of March.

Content Warning: The source text and guide include discussions of racism, enslavement, child death, and graphic violence.

Plot Summary

The Fifth of March takes place between 1768 and 1770, culminating with the trials of seven British soldiers who fired into a crowd on the night of March 5th, 1770—an event known as the Boston Massacre. The story follows Rachel Marsh, an indentured maid for John and Abigail Adams in Boston, Massachusetts, as she is swept up in the city’s fight for freedom from the British monarchy. The story opens as Rachel and longtime friend Jane discuss how rebellion is coming to Boston. While Jane hungers for the change, Rachel is fearful of anything that would disrupt her fortunate situation in the Adams household. After growing up under the cruel care of her Uncle Eb, Rachel finally feels as if she has achieved something in life, and she wishes to better herself so that she may someday be as wise and composed as the city’s elite.

Following the passage of new taxes on British goods imported to America, Boston’s people are getting bolder, attacking merchants who support the British and organizing into groups bent on achieving liberty, though no one can sufficiently define what this liberty would mean. When soldiers arrive from Britain, tensions escalate, and Rachel finds herself at the center of a city hurtling toward greater conflict. Private Matthew Kilroy is stationed outside the Adams house and ordered to question anyone who comes or goes. When Rachel arrives home to find him on her doorstep, she is irritated until Matthew quietly begs her to do as he asks so he isn’t deprived another night of sleep. Realizing the soldiers are barely fed and poorly outfitted for Boston’s harsh winter, Rachel begins to bring Matthew leftovers. As much as she tries to dislike him because he is British, Rachel sees similarities to her own troubled past, as well as to the street urchins of the city, and though it goes against what she’s told it means to be American, she sympathizes with Matthew and the other soldiers who are cold, tired, and far from home.

Rachel and Matthew’s relationship is strained by the tensions between the Patriot freedom-fighters and the British soldiers. Afraid of ending up beholden to Matthew if she allows him to get close to her, Rachel pushes him away, depriving him of the only person who’s been kind to him since he arrived in America. This combined with the endless taunts from the Patriots and orders from his superiors not to defend himself leaves Matthew bitter and angry. He takes a job at a rope-making facility known for allowing fights between the British and the Americans, where the abuse continues, with Americans belittling Matthew for defending the Crown.

Meanwhile, Rachel grapples with new feelings about what it means to make her own choices and to be free from others dictating her life. Uncle Eb tries to blackmail her into spying on her employers for him, but she refuses to be intimidated. She tries to communicate to Matthew that he can also seek freedom from his circumstances, but he refuses to listen and continues to withdraw. On the night of March 5th, Rachel goes against the Adamses’ wishes by attending a protest action in the streets. Matthew and a group of soldiers train their muskets on a crowd of Patriots that grows more and more unruly, throwing sticks and rocks at the soldiers. Upon hearing the word “fire” shouted, the soldiers shoot into the crowd. Matthew and other soldiers are then being consumed by rage and feverishly attack the unarmed townspeople. Rachel tries to stop Matthew, but she can’t reach him. She runs home, knowing this night has changed everything.

When the Adamses learn that Rachel snuck out against their orders, they make plans to dismiss her, though they will give her the promised dowry because they understand that she only did what she believed was right. Feeling partly responsible for Matthew’s role in the massacre, Rachel vows to mend any tension she has caused, and she brings him food in prison to prove she has been his friend all along. The soldiers who attacked the night of the massacre are accused of murder, and John Adams is called to defend them, which threatens his standing in the community. Still, Adams takes the job because he believes everyone has a right to a fair trial. Siting the abuse from the Patriots and noting that the soldiers were trained to defend the Crown and its ideals, John is able to reduce the sentence from murder to manslaughter, and the soldiers are branded, rather than hanged.

Rachel visits Matthew one final time after the trial, where he thanks her for showing him what friendship means. He asks her to come to England with him, but Rachel refuses because she now understands she has the ability to choose her life and wants to explore this freedom before promising herself to anyone. Matthew returns to England, and Rachel finds a new position in Pennsylvania. The day she is to leave, she sneaks out of the Adams house, leaving her dowry behind along with a note explaining that she will take nothing from them. She also bids a final goodbye to Uncle Eb, who can no longer threaten her now that she’s found her confidence. Rachel spends her last day in Boston with the friends she’s made and looks to her future with the knowledge that it is hers to make.