Crispus Attucks

**Crispus Attucks** (circa 1723 – March 5, 1770) was the first person to die in the Boston Massacre.  This made him the first American to die in the American Revolutionary War.  After being killed at the Boston Massacre, Attucks became a martyr of the American Revolution.  He also became a symbol for the abolitionist (anti-slavery) movement, both in the 18th century and the 19th century.

Attucks had a big impact on important historical events like the American Revolution and the abolitionist movement.  However, he continues to have an impact on American culture today.  Even 250 years after his death, modern songs, stories, and television shows still talk about Attucks.  Children go to schools that are named after him.  In 2002, Attucks was named one of the "100 Greatest African Americans" in United States History.

## Early life 
Aside from how he died, historians do not know much about Attucks' life.  His father, Prince Yonger, was a slave who had been born in Africa; his mother, Nancy Attucks, was a Wampanoag Native American.

Attucks himself may have been a freeman, or may have escaped slavery.  Some evidence suggests that he was born a slave in Framingham, Massachusetts, but escaped from slavery. In particular, he accused Attucks of having decided "to be the hero of the night," and of having started a conflict with his "mad behavior."

The five people killed in the Massacre were buried as heroes in the Granary Burying Ground, which also contains the graves of Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and other important people.

## Importance in history
After being killed in the Boston Massacre, Attucks was held up as the first martyr of the American Revolution.  The deaths of Attucks and four other Americans enraged the American people and helped trigger the start of the American Revolution.

Attucks also became a symbol of the abolitionist (anti-slavery) movement in the 18th century.  In the early 19th century, as the abolitionist movement gained strength in Boston, supporters praised Attucks as an African American who played a heroic role in the history of the United States.  Because Attucks was of mixed African and Native American , he also became an important figure in Native American history.

## Legacy and honors 
]]
* 1858: Boston-area abolitionists, including William Cooper Nell, created "Crispus Attucks Day" to honor Attucks.
* 1888: A monument honoring Attucks and the other victims of the Boston Massacre was created on Boston Common. It is over 25 feet high and about 10 feet wide. It shows the Boston Massacre, with Attucks lying in the foreground. Under the scene is the date: March 5, 1770. Above the scene stands a female figure, *Free America*, holding the broken chain of oppression in her right hand. Beneath her right foot, she crushes the royal crown of England. At the left of the figure is an eagle. Thirteen stars are cut into one of the faces of the monument. Beneath these stars in raised letters are the names of the five men who were killed that day: Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Samuel Maverick, and Patrick Carr. Some men died a day later., Houston, Texas]]
* In 1888, the Massachusetts Historical Society and the New England Historic Genealogical Society did not want the Attucks memorial to be created.  However, since the 20th century, both organizations have acknowledged his importance in history, and have created museum exhibits about black history and genealogy.
* 1998: The United States Treasury released "The Black Revolutionary War Patriots Silver Dollar" featuring Attucks' image.  Funds from sales of the coin were intended for a proposed Black Revolutionary War Patriots Memorial in Washington, DC.
* 2002: The Afrocentrist scholar Molefi Kete Asante listed Crispus Attucks as among the 100 Greatest African Americans.
* Attucks is discussed at length in the book "Rush Revere and the First Patriots" by Rush Limbaugh. The book is second in a series celebrating "Exceptional Americans."
* Nat King Cole mentions Crispus Attucks in the spoken introduction to his Capitol Records recording of "We Are Americans, Too".

## References