Who Was Crispus Attucks?
Crispus Attucks was born in 1723. His exact birth date cannot be determined because he grew up as a slave. His father, Prince, was African and shipped to New England to become the slave of Colonel Buckminster in Framingham, Massachusetts. There, he married Nancy, a Natick Indian of North America. Crispus' siblings include Phebe, his sister who was older than him by about two years and "Little Brother," his unnamed baby brother who died due to fever when Crispus was seven.
Until about the age of sixteen, Crispus lived in a cottage with his family owned by their master, Colonel Buckminster. From childhood to young adulthood, Crispus helped Prince do farm and field work. Phebe and Nancy cleaned the Buckminster house. Crispus and Phebe and never went to school because they were slaves. Although Colonel Buckminster owned many slaves and indentured servants, he treated them with kindness and respect.
As Attucks got older, he developed a desire for freedom. He became a problem for Colonel Buckminster because he frequently wandered from his duties and hardly paid attention. At about the age of sixteen, he was sold to Deacon William Brown, also of Framingham, Massachusetts.
His duties included buying and selling cattle, working in the Deacon's chandler shop, and traveling widely to look for business. What he truly wanted to do for a living was to work on boats, something he realized wasn’t realistic without having freedom. Attucks, at the age of twenty-seven, went on a business trip to Boston, Massachusetts. There, he secretly applied for a job as a whaler. He chose a ship that he knew wouldn't return to Boston in the near future in case Deacon Brown searched for him. Every so often, Attucks’ ship would land in ports not too far from Framingham. Then, at night he would sneak out to visit his family.
In the fall of 1769, Attucks returned to Boston at the age of forty-six. It had been twenty years since he ran away and Deacon Brown had long given up the search for his trusted slave. By then, King George the Third was trying to rule the colonies without their permission. This made colonists complain about their mother country, England, especially in Massachusetts, so King George sent British officers to enforce the laws. Because of the arguments between Parliament and Colonist leaders, the anger and rage affected the British troops and townspeople. The towns people taunted the soldiers as they walked by them.
Even children called the British troops names and threw rocks at them. Soon after, Attucks left to go on a whaling voyage and returned in February of 1770. By then, a soldier who was taunted by a group of people shot into the crowd and killed a boy. Attucks soon realized that these colonists, like him twenty years earlier, longed for freedom. He had made small conversations in crowds before about how the people felt about this situation. Every person hated the way it was and wanted a change. Out of inspiration and the hope of freedom, Attucks walked up onto a mounted platform in front of a large crowd. He spoke briefly but effectively about striking back against the British. He emphasized on sticking together and building courage to rebel. As powerful as Britain may be, they have no right to tax the colonies three thousand miles away and without their opinion. This speech had triggered colonists to fight for their freedom.
On March 5, 1770, fire bells rang loudly at midmorning in Boston. Everyone came running out of his or her house looking for a fire. As a small group led by Attucks passed, he explained that there was no fire. The bells were a signal calling patriots to gather with them in the Town Square to solve the problem of the British. Attucks felt that too many people were getting hurt as a result of British troops violating the rights of the colonists. At the Town Square, Attucks left for the fishing docks and returned with fifty to sixty people who were mostly sailors. Unaffected, British Captain Preston and his eight troops made no move. Attucks broke the silence by challenging the British to put down their guns and fight the colonists. Just then, someone shouted "Fire!" A soldier named Montgomery shot and killed Attucks.
When the shooting was over, four other people had died; Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Samuel Maverick, and Patrick Carr. The bodies of Attucks and Caldwell were brought to Fanueil Hall since they were strangers to the town, and the bodies of Maverick and Gray were brought back to their homes. The four men were then buried in the Middle Burying Ground, one of the city's oldest cemeteries. Later, many people came to Dock Square to hear a memorial service. Many speeches were given about the bravery of Crispus Attucks and how even as a person who was not treated equally had the courage to fight for his country. This incident showed how loyal someone can be to his country and became one of the greatest inspirations for patriots and colonists alike is called the Boston Massacre.
|
