Final answer:
Captain Thomas Preston did not himself depict the Boston Massacre; however, it was portrayed by others, most notably by Paul Revere, as an unjustified attack on colonists. This event was used significantly in colonial propaganda to incite anger against British rule, culminating in heightened resistance and events like the Boston Tea Party.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thomas Preston, a British army captain, was one of the key figures involved in the event that came to be known as the Boston Massacre. However, he did not create a depiction of the event himself. The Boston Massacre was depicted by others, most famously by Paul Revere, as an unjustified attack on colonists. This portrayal served to fuel colonial indignation towards British rule. Following the Boston Massacre, resistance to British authority grew, and the event became a significant propagandistic tool for the colonists, particularly the Sons of Liberty, who circulated sensationalized accounts emphasizing the British soldiers' aggression.
In contrast, at the trial of the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre, John Adams, who would later become a Founding Father and the second President of the United States, defended the soldiers. He did so because he believed in the right to a fair trial, demonstrating that not everyone in the colonies believed the British soldiers were solely to blame for the violence.