Saturday, February 1, 2014

Black History Focus: Crispus Attucks



Doing a little shopping at Giant, a man struck up a conversation with me. His big question on this first day of Black History Month was, “Who was the first to die in the American Revolution.” My immediate reply was, “Crispus Attucks.” He seemed surprised that I knew this basic history fact.
On March 5th, 1770, while British soldiers stood guarding the Customs House in Boston, a group of people gathered to taunt the soldiers. One of the many protest the colonist had against the British presence. Crispus Attucks, a sailor of African and Native American ancestry, was in the crowd of hecklers calling the guards names, throwing snowballs, and stones. Soldiers fired into the crowd killing five people and wounding others. Crispus Attucks, according to the newspaper report, was the first to die. The event became known as the Boston Massacre. Crispus Attucks is remembered as the first American to die for the revolutionary cause.

More about Attucks Click Here

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