Crispus Attucks

One of the most interesting people from the American Revolution is Crispus Attucks. British soldiers were dispatched to Boston in the fall of 1768, three years after the Revolution began, in an attempt to quell escalating colonial discontent. The presence of these troops heightened already heightened tensions. A British Private Hugh White was encircled by Bostonians on March 5, 1770, after an altercation with a wig apprentice. maker's Seven British soldiers wielding bayonets made their way through the crowd to save White. A throng surrounded them, throwing snowballs, oyster shells, and garbage at them. During the chaos, British soldiers opened fire on the crowd despite not being instructed to do so. Eleven individuals were hit, three of whom died on the spot and two of whom were critically wounded. The Boston Massacre was named after this occurrence.

Crispus Attucks was an African-American and Native American manual laborer who spent a lot of time in Boston. Attucks was one of five men killed in the Boston Massacre, and he is commonly considered the incident's first victim, making him the first American killed in the American Revolutionary War. The Boston Massacre was a pivotal event in the American Revolutionary War because it dramatically turned colonial sentiment against Britain. During the anti-slavery movement in the mid-nineteenth century, Attucks became a popular figure among abolitionists, who praised him for his role in the American Revolution. Attucks has been a pivotal character in the Revolutionary War ever since. He is commemorated by a statue on Boston Common, and he is mentioned frequently in popular culture.

Lifespan: 1723 – 1770

Nationality: American