Final answer:
According to Benjamin Burdick's testimony, the massacre was caused by an officer who gave the order to fire, and this is supported by historical accounts of the event. Option a is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Who Was Responsible for the Boston Massacre According to Benjamin Burdick?
Based on the testimony of Benjamin Burdick, the responsibility for the massacre at the Boston Massacre seems to rest on an officer who gave the order to fire. Burdick mentions hearing the word "fire," which he took to be a command, and saw a man he thought to be an officer behind the soldiers just before the firing ensued. This suggests that the soldiers acted upon an order rather than firing without direction. Later, in the trial, John Adams defended the soldiers, implying that they had a right to representation and that the question of who ordered the firing was crucial.
The accounts from the Lexington Green also allude to the confusion preceding the event, implying that the British troops were not planning to engage the colonists until provoked by a shot fired by one of the militiamen. This moment marked the start of the slaughter, where eight militiamen were killed, and more were injured. Colonel Smith's account to General Gage also reinforces the notion that the British troops only responded after being fired upon by the colonists.
In conclusion, considering the provided accounts, option a) An officer who gave the order to fire appears to be the correct answer. The testimony by Burdick and the various historical accounts all emphasize the chaos of the situation and indicate that the British troops responded to a perceived threat, which would have been initiated by an order from one of their officers.