An artist's conception of Crispus Attucks

Crispus Attucks (c. 1723 – March 5, 1770) was one of five people killed in the Boston Massacre in Boston, Massachusetts. Year 1723 ( MDCCXXIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a Year 1770 ( MDCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Friday This article is about the 1770 incident The Boston Massacre is also used colloquially to describe portions of a Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. He has been frequently named as the first martyr of the American Revolution and is the only person killed in the Boston Massacre whose name is commonly remembered. The term martyr ( Greek μάρτυς martys "witness" is most commonly used today to describe an individual who sacrifices their life (or personal freedom In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" He remains an important and inspirational figure in American history.

Little is known for certain about Attucks other than that he was killed in the Boston Massacre. Fragmentary evidence suggests that he may have been a "mulatto" with African and Native American ancestry. Mulatto is a term used to describe a person with one white parent and one black parent or a person whose Ancestry is a mixture of black and white The African diaspora was the movement of Africans and their descendants to places throughout the world - predominantly to the Americas, then later to Europe, the Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States In the early 1800s, as the Abolitionist movement gained momentum in Boston, Attucks was lauded as an example of a black American who played a heroic role in the history of the United States. Abolitionism was a political movement of the 18th and 19th century which sought to make Slavery illegal particularly in the United States and British West Indies African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Because Crispus Attucks may also have had Wampanoag Indian ancestors, his story also holds special significance for many Native Americans.

Possible ancestry

Very few facts are known about Crispus Attucks prior to his involvement with the Boston Massacre. Because slavery and racial discrimination were conditions of life in the 18th century, few detailed accounts of black Americans from that era survive. The name "Crispus" is mentioned in some records from the period that might refer to him. For example, an October 2, 1750, advertisement placed in the Boston Gazette read:

. Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Year 1750 ( MDCCL) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The Boston Gazette was an early newspaper printed in the British North American colonies it began publication December 12, 1719 and appeared weekly . . ran away from his Master William Brown on the 30th of Sept. last, a mulatto Fellow, about 27 years of age, named Crispus, 6 Feet two inches high, short curl'd Hair, his Knees near together than common: had on a light colour'd Bearskin Coat. ^[1]

Master William Brown offered a reward of £10 for his return. Given the lack of evidence to the contrary, this passage is often associated with Crispus Attucks of the Boston Massacre. ^[1]

An American Native named John Attucks was executed for treason in 1676 during King Philip's War. In Law, treason is the Crime that covers some of the more serious acts of disloyalty to one's sovereign or Nation. King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom 's War or Metacom's Rebellion was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of In the 1700s, the surname “Attucks” was used by some Praying Indians around Natick and Framingham. A surname is a name added to a Given name and is part of a Personal name. Praying Indian is a 17th century term referring to Native Americans of New England who converted to Christianity. Natick (Pronunciation ˈneɪtɪk is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Framingham is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. This surname may be an Anglicisation of the Wôpanââk word ahtuk meaning deer. Anglicisation or anglicization (see -ise vs -ize) is a process of conversion of verbal or written elements of any other language into a more comprehensible English The Massachusett language was a Native American language, a member of the Algonquian language family A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. ^[2]

Native people and black people frequently had children together in Colonial times as evidenced by accounts from early periods and by the prevalence today of African phenotypes among Indian tribal groups in New England and other long-established multiracial groups in the Eastern United States. The term colonial history of the United States refers to the history of the land that would become the United States from the start of European settlement to the time of independence A phenotype is any observable characteristic of an Organism, such as its morphology, Development, biochemical or physiological properties History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the This leads to speculation that Attucks had both African and Native American ancestry. ^[3]

Role in the Boston Massacre

In 1768, Boston was occupied by British soldiers to help control growing colonial unrest, but this only increased tensions with those colonists who opposed the presence of troops. On March 5, 1770, a crowd of colonists gathered and confronted a group of soldiers about an incident earlier that day in which a soldier struck a boy who confronted him over non-payment of a barber bill. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a Year 1770 ( MDCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Friday A barber (from the Latin barba, " Beard " is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair give shaves, and trim

This 19th century lithograph is a variation of the famous engraving of the Boston Massacre by Paul Revere. This article is about the 1770 incident The Boston Massacre is also used colloquially to describe portions of a Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. Paul Revere (bap December 22, 1734 ( OS) / January 1 1735 (NS &ndash May 10, 1818) was an American Silversmith Produced soon before the American Civil War, this image emphasizes Crispus Attucks, who had become a symbol for Abolitionists. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South (John Bufford after William L. Champey, ca. 1856)^[4]

As anger escalated, a church bell was rung (as it would in case of fire or other emergency), drawing people out of their homes. A church bell is a bell which is rung in a (especially Christian) church either to signify the Hour or the time for worshippers to go to The British soldiers of the Twenty-ninth Regiment were called to duty in response. The 29th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army The regiment was raised in 1694 by Colonel Thomas Farrington, Townspeople began hurling snowballs and debris at the soldiers. A group of men led by Attucks approached the vicinity of the government building (now known as the Old State House) with clubs in hand. The Old State House is a historic legislative building located at the intersection of Washington and State Streets in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Violence soon erupted and a soldier was struck with a thrown piece of wood. Some accounts named Attucks as the person responsible. Other witnesses stated that Attucks was "leaning upon a stick" when the soldiers opened fire.

Three Americans were killed and two were mortally wounded. Court documents state that Attucks was the first one killed and that he took two bullets in the chest. Attucks’s body was carried to Faneuil Hall where it lay in state until March 8 when he and the other victims were buried together. Faneuil Hall (ˈfænl̩ previously /ˈfʌnl̩/ located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts, has been a marketplace

Based on the premise of self-defense, John Adams successfully defended the British soldiers against a charge of murder. John Adams (October 30 1735 July 4 1826 was one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States. Two of the soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter. As soldiers of the King of England, they were given the choice of hanging or being branded on their thumb. George III (George William Frederick 4 June 1738 George III's long reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdom much of the rest of Europe and places They both chose to be branded. In his arguments, Adams called the crowd "a motley rabble of saucy boys, negros and molattoes, Irish teagues and outlandish jack tarrs". Negro is a term referring to people of Black African ancestry Taig (also Teague, Teg and Teig) is a derogatory term for a Catholic. Jack Tar was a common English term used to refer to seamen of the Merchant or Royal Navy, particularly during the period of the British ^[5]

Samuel Adams, a cousin of John Adams who held civil disobedience in higher regard, gave the event the name of the Boston Massacre two years later and helped assure that it would not be forgotten. Samuel Adams ( – October 2 1803 was an American Statesman, Politician, Writer and political philosopher, brewer Civil disobedience is the active refusal to obey certain Laws demands and commands of a Government, or of an occupying power, without resorting to physical Boston artist Henry Pelham (half-brother of the celebrated portrait painter John Singleton Copley) created an image of the event. Henry Pelham (February 14 1748/49 - 1806 American painter, Engraver and Cartographer, was born in Boston, where his father John Singleton Copley (1738 - 1815 was an American painter born presumably in Boston Massachusetts and a son of Richard and Mary Singleton Copley both Irish Paul Revere made a copy of the image from which prints were made and distributed. Paul Revere (bap December 22, 1734 ( OS) / January 1 1735 (NS &ndash May 10, 1818) was an American Silversmith Some copies of the print show a dark-skinned man with chest wounds represening Cripsus Attucks. Other copies of the print show no difference in the skin tone of the victims.

The five who were killed were buried as heroes in the Granary Burying Ground, which contains the graves of John Hancock and other notable figures. Founded in 1660 the Granary Burying Ground on Tremont Street in Boston Massachusetts is the city's third-oldest cemetery John Hancock ( October 8 1793 was a Massachusetts merchant and prominent patriot of the American Revolution. While custom of the period discouraged the burial of black people and white people together, such a practice was not unknown. Prince Hall, for example, was interred in Copp's Hill Burying Ground in the North End of Boston thirty-five years later. Prince Hall (c1735 &ndash December 4, 1807) is considered the founder of "Black Freemasonry " in the United States, known today as Copp's Hill is an elevation in the historic North End of Boston Massachusetts. Boston 's North End is the City 's oldest residential community where people have lived continuously since it was settled in the 1630s

Folklore

The above-mentioned clues and other circumstantial evidence of the period have given rise to speculation which has, over many decades, become much-repeated folk-history. A legend ( Latin, legenda, "things to be read" is a Narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to

In popular versions of his narrative, Attucks was born to an Africa-born black slave father named Prince Yonger and a Native American mother named Nancy Attucks who was from either the Natick-Framingham area of Middlesex County just west of Boston or from the island of Nantucket south of Cape Cod. Middlesex County is a County located in the US state of Massachusetts. Cape Cod (or simply the Cape to most New Englanders is a Peninsula nearly coextensive with Barnstable County Massachusetts and forming the easternmost He grew up in the household of Colonel Buckminster, his father’s master, until sold to Deacon William Brown of Framingham. Unhappy with his situation, he escaped and became a ropemaker, a manual laborer and/or a whaler. For other uses see Whalers. A whaler is a specialized kind of ship designed for Whaling, the catching and/or processing of His quarrel with the British soldiers on March 5, 1770 was righteous indignation regarding the effect of the Townshend Acts on the local economy as well as the incidents that had taken place earlier that day. The Townshend Acts (1767 passed by Parliament on 29 June 1767 refer to two Acts of the Parliament of Great Britain passed in 1767 originally proposed by Charles

Legacy

Crispus Attucks' grave in the Granary Burying Ground

Attucks has often been praised in writing meant to inspire Americans to work towards the ideals of freedom and racial equality. Founded in 1660 the Granary Burying Ground on Tremont Street in Boston Massachusetts is the city's third-oldest cemetery Desegregation is the process of ending Racial segregation, most commonly used in reference to the United States. In 1858, Boston-area Abolitionists established "Crispus Attucks Day. " In 1888, a monument honoring him was erected on Boston Common. Boston Common is a central Public park in Boston, Massachusetts.

In the poetry of John Boyle O'Reilly Attucks was described as "leader and voice that day; The first to defy, and the first to die. John Boyle O'Reilly ( 28 June 1844 – 10 August 1890) was an Irish -born poet and novelist . . riot or revolution, or mob or crowd as you may, such deaths have been seeds of nations. " Martin Luther King, Jr., referred to Crispus Attucks in the introduction of Why We Can't Wait (1964) as an example of a man whose contribution to history, though much-overlooked by standard histories, could be revered as a source of moral courage. Martin Luther King Jr ( January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, Activist and prominent leader

One author wrote this appraisal of Attucks’s significance:

He is one of the most important figures in African-American history, not for what he did for his own race but for what he did for all oppressed people everywhere. He is a reminder that the African-American heritage is not only African but American and it is a heritage that begins with the beginning of America. ^[6]

In 1888, leaders of both the Massachusetts Historical Society and the New England Historic Genealogical Society opposed the creation of the Crispus Attucks memorial on Boston Common. The Massachusetts Historical Society is a major historical archive specializing in early American, Massachusetts, and New England history The New England Historic Genealogical Society, also known as NEHGS, is the oldest and largest genealogical society in the United States, founded in 1845 Today, both organizations use Crispus Attucks’s name to foster interest in black history and genealogy. Genealogy (from Greek: el γενεά el-Latn genea, "descent" and el λόγος el-Latn logos, "knowledge" is the study of

In 1998, the United States Treasury released "The Black Revolutionary War Patriots Silver Dollar" featuring Attucks' image on the obverse side. The United States Department of the Treasury is a Cabinet department and the Treasury of the United States government. The Military history of African Americans spans from the arrival of the first black slaves during the colonial history of the United Dollar coins have been minted in the United States in Gold, Silver, and Base metal versions The reverse side of the commemorative coin shows a family of African-American patriots. Commemorative coins are coins that were issued to commemorate some particular event or issue Funds from sales of the coin were intended for a proposed Black Revolutionary War Patriots Memorial in Washington, DC. A war memorial is a building monument statue or other edifice to celebrate a War or victory or (predominating in modern times to commemorate those who died or were injured Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D ^[7]

Places named for Attucks include the Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Crispus Attucks Elementary School in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Attucks Theatre in Norfolk, Virginia. Crispus Attucks High School of Indianapolis Public Schools in Indianapolis Indiana is named for Crispus Attucks (c Kansas City Missouri only Items for the metro area Kansas City Kansas or North Kansas City MO should go on their respective pages The Attucks Theatre, located in Norfolk Virginia, USA, was financed designed and constructed by African American entrepreneurs in 1919 Norfolk is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States

Notes

External links

• Africans in America biography
• Africans in America at PBS.org
• Crispus Attucks at AfricaWithin.com
• Crispus Attucks Association, Inc.
• The Murder of Crispus Attucks Library of Congress exhibit, including trial documents. The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its Trade and Commerce.
• Trial Documents at Framingham.com