How much does Cripus Attucks Sacrifice mean to American History?

SPC Andrew Griffin — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 13:08:12 -0500

Crispus Attucks was the first casualty of the Boston massacre, in Boston, Massachusetts, and is widely considered to be the first American casualty in the American Revolutionary War. Aside from the event of his death, along with Samuel Gray and James Caldwell, little is known for certain about Attucks. He may have been an African American slave or freeman, merchant seaman and dockworker of Wampano

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Mar 5 at 2016 1:10 PM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 13:10:54 -0500

If he has any living relatives, hopefully they are very proud of this piece of their heritage.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Mar 5 at 2016 1:10 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 13:10:56 -0500

SPC Andrew Griffin Wow, you are going back in history, I sort of recognized the name, but not the circumstance!

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Mar 5 at 2016 1:27 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 13:27:50 -0500

If you will excuse the Turn of a Phrase. I think we should find out more about this Man and teach people about him, so that All Americans are aware that African Americans have had "Skin" in the Game, so to speak, from the Very First Shot. Sharp Looking Gentleman that I would really have loved to have learned more about him.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 5 at 2016 1:28 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 13:28:04 -0500

I knew the name, I didn't know he was black.
The more you know.
Thanks for the info.

Response by SSgt Robert Marx made Mar 5 at 2016 2:12 PM

SSgt Robert Marx — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 14:12:10 -0500

The British in the decade of the 1770's were enforcing the "Navigation Acts" which necessitated that all trade within the British Empire be handled by British owned & flagged vessels and they also "impressed" merchant seamen into either the Royal Navy or their merchant fleet. Those were dangerous days to disagree with agents of the King. Crispus Attucks became one of the first fatalities of the Revolutionary War era which was a distinctive most men would pass up if they could!

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Mar 5 at 2016 2:13 PM

MCPO Roger Collins — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 14:13:54 -0500

Let me ask you a question. How many black Historians have there been over the 237 or so years of our existence as a unique country?

Response by SSG Leo Bell made Mar 5 at 2016 2:15 PM

SSG Leo Bell — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 14:15:19 -0500

It would be interesting to learn more about him and his history.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Mar 5 at 2016 2:59 PM

LTC Stephen F. — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 14:59:54 -0500

Thanks for reminding us SPC Andrew Griffin FYI here is more information on Crispus from the website I have linked to my response.
"Crispus Attucks, one of the first men to die for American Revolution, was a fugitive slave who had escaped from his master and had worked for twenty years as a merchant seaman. When Samuel Adams, prominent leader of the struggle against British domination of the American colonies, called upon the dock workers and seamen in the port of Boston to demonstrate against the British troops guarding the customs commissioners, Crispus Attucks responded to the plea. Aroused by Adams' exhortations, a group of 40 to 50 patriots, armed with clubs, sticks and snowballs, approached the British soldiers. Attucks was apparently in the front of the line of the aroused citizens, urging them on. Suddenly there was a terse order--"Fire!" The British troops responded with a barrage of rifle fire."
"Crispus Attucks was the first to fall in the celebrated "Boston Massacre" of 1770. Four other Americans died that night from the action. Samuel Adams used the incident to incite the colonists to further rebellion. Although only five people were killed, Adams termed it a "massacre" of innocent citizens by the tyrannical mother country. Paul Revere published a poem and a drawing of this famous incident in the Boston Gazette on March 12, 1770."

Response by SFC William Farrell made Mar 5 at 2016 4:08 PM

SFC William Farrell — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 16:08:26 -0500

Crispus Attucks is a hero in my mind while on the other hand Henry Louis Gates is nothing but an agitator. While his arrest may have been subject to interpretation, all he had to do is to cooperate with the police rather than carry on as he did. Yeah, lets go sit down for a beer with friends in high places.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Mar 5 at 2016 4:50 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 16:50:28 -0500

I only mention this as this page was about the revolutionary war so I thought this might be a good place for this as I felt it was a really fascinating aspect of revolutionary war history. Look up if you haven't yet the story of William Cunningham the provost Marshal of the British army during the occupation of NYC during the revolution. Look up also the story of the former HMS Jersey and the other British naval hulks moored off thesite of the now former Brooklyn Navy yard by wallabot bay in Brooklyn and the letter or letters Washington personally sent the british due to the mistreatment of American land and naval and privateer POWs and the story of the tomb of the martyrs in fort Greene park in Brooklyn and the story of how Elias boudinot looked into the abuse at the behest of Washington it's a really fascinating story. Look also at the website about the last remaining window of the sugar house prison in Manhattan and how it exists today in a building near police plaza in Manhattan and the story of the revolutionary army colonial soldier ghosts supposedly visible looking through the window panes at night that one I found really interesting. Look at the story of how william cunningham was the one who apparently actually hanged Nathan Hale and tore up and or burned his letters to friends and family as he apparently didn't want the story of his courage to be widely known. I'd actually seen a fascinating website of the labor Dept historical unit that mentioned William cunningham as being of most infamous memory he was apparently so bad the Brits are rumored to hanged him when he got back to the UK after the revolution for counterfeiting though there seems to be no record of it with there having been articles ive also seen in post revolutionary American newspapers listing his name of most infamous memory and his having evidently been hanged from the accounts id read. There was one especially hysterically funny story that when the Brits left nyc and evacd Manhattan Cunningham was apparently the one who hauled down the British flag as they left. While he was doing it the wife of an amer patriot apparently nearly beat him to death with a broom while he was hauling it down and trying to make his way back to a Brit evac ship I thought to myself what a potentially fantastic movie scene you know? If you also read about major Andre the Brit hanged in Connecticut then returned to the Brits now buried in Westminster abbey as a hero which was apparently quite justified as many Americans evidently highly admired him for evidently good reason one thing I'd read was that apparently Washington refused to return. Him to the Brits saying that after the whole thing with Nathan Hale the americans were justified in having hanged him or so the story goes. Look up also the story of the the three American soldiers who caught Andre with the papers from the who!e Benedict Arnold story in one of his boots and how Congress issued them gold medals special ones very famous as among the first sanctioned major amer decorations around the time the purple heart was started I think. If you watch the film the patriot the supposedly evil brit was I think actually based on a blend of Maj Tarleton who was actually much admired by the real swamp fox of South Carolina brig gen Francis Marion who though later decried on some websites ive seen for having owned slaves I gathered evidently had !et tarleton to parly with him gibson played I think the part intended to have been the real Francis Marion and I think the movie plot got all twisted with the villainy really having been based on william Cunningham who fromthe account of boudinot actually admitted hos abuses when confronted saying he engaged in abuse of amer prisoners under higher authority approval either of the British army or the king though the account of boudinot said what Cunningham mentioned when confronted was evidently quite vague in that regard. There's also a really amusing account I had read in I believe the book 1776 I think of the test of wills between washington and the Brits who for the longest time kept sending him letters addressed to his excellency George Washington Esq with Washington refusing to accept them saying that there was no one here by that name until the Brits gave in and addressed them to genl George Washington I'm fairly certain that's in the book 1776 by the historian David mcculloch who did the narration I believe for much of the kem burns civil war series by PBS the famous televised one. Im fairly certain two of the soldiers the three issued the famous gold medals were last named Pauling and Van wort or phonetically similar I can't recall the third one it's just that their story has never been recounted in any film I've ever seen. You might also want to glance as t the web based photos of American revolutionary war soldiers as elderly men I find those especially fascinating every post office always has photos of pres Jackson as a daguerreotype as an elderly man though few know of the photos of e.g. lemuel cook I believe who was I think one of the last revolutionary war soldiers if not the last. I read a fascinating account t of a discussion he had with Washington at I believe valley forge that is well worth reading if only to give somw substance to Washington in normal conversation from a low ranking soldier who apparently actually had met and chatted with the man you know? There is also an account a female spy imprisoned on the old Jersey and either a Freedman or ex slave who were both also revolutionary war heroes well worth reading as well. Get the book by a Capt danskers I believe on I think gutenberg.org on the prison ship Jersey as well. I actually spoke with a descendant of I believe the family who started the effort to build the tomb of the martyrs whose family had a business in old document memorabilia one item in one of thier catalogues was the actual list of the prisoners held by Cunningham and personally givenor sent to Washington after the brits surrendered and evacd NYC which I thought was one of the neatest things I'd found in researching the whole story which has long been a hobby of mine as I'm hoping is apparent by now. Anyway I just thought it worth sharing I also found d the dedication speech delivered for it by William Howard Taft while president elect I've tried to cast a film about the whole thing and or to do a screenplay as I've long thought it well worth a major Hollywood epic about the whole story any thoughts anyone?

Response by CPT Richard Van Patten made Mar 5 at 2016 6:23 PM

CPT Richard Van Patten — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 18:23:09 -0500

I too can echo many of the comments in that forgotten history should be taught and many of the untold stories be explored

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Mar 5 at 2016 7:43 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 19:43:30 -0500

History is full of stories like Crispus Attucks. That's why I love studying it. I didn't gain my love of history in school. Indeed, every history teacher I ever had did their level best to destroy any interest I might have had. The problem is that reduced history to a multiple choice/true-false/fill in the blanks exam full of arcane dates and dead people. The truth is that "history" is "our story". It should be taught (or told) as a story. That's how I teach it; I tell stories. I ignore the mythology and find the real men and women in those stories. I find real flesh and blood people far more interesting than the demigods that American heroes are portrayed as, don't you?

Response by TSgt Kenneth Ellis made Mar 5 at 2016 9:08 PM

TSgt Kenneth Ellis — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 21:08:55 -0500

I don't know if you have read about this.

James Armistead (Lafayette) (1760-1832)
James Armistead was one of the most important American spies during the Revolution. As a slave in Virginia, he witnessed much of the War; and following the British siege of Richmond in 1781, he asked his master, William Armistead, for permission to serve in the cause of American independence with General Marquis de Lafayette, a young Frenchman who came to fight with the Americans. His master agreed, and Lafayette accepted his services. Lafayette dispatched Armistead to the camp of the patriot-turned-traitor, Benedict Arnold (then a British general), to pose as an escaped slave looking for work. Arnold accepted Armistead and allowed him to work in the camp, thus placing him around other British generals, including British commander-in-chief Lord Cornwallis. Armistead obtained much vital information about British plans and troop movements, which he daily sent to General Lafayette. Ironically, Lord Cornwallis so trusted Armistead that he even asked him to become a British spy to watch the Americans. Armistead agreed and thus became a double-spy, feeding accurate information to the Americans and inaccurate information to the British.

Upon learning that the British fleet was moving Cornwallis and his troops to Yorktown, Armistead quickly relayed that information to Lafayette and Washington, who gathered the American forces at Yorktown. After the British troops had landed and the British fleet had unsuspectingly departed from Chesapeake Bay, the Americans engaged the British while the French fleet blockaded the Bay to keep the British navy from returning. The Battle of Yorktown ensued, and the British – without their navy to provide reinforcements or supplies and with no way to retreat off the peninsula on which they were trapped – finally surrendered. Armistead’s crucial information had helped bring a victorious end to the American Revolution.

Following the War, Armistead returned to slavery on his master’s plantation. Three years later, in 1784, General Lafayette returned to America for a visit and met with his friend, Armistead. Lafayette penned a certificate to Virginia leaders praising the work and important contributions of Armistead. Armistead then petitioned the legislature for his freedom, which was granted on New Year’s Day, 1787. (In his latter years, Armistead also received a retirement pension from the State for his military services.) Following his emancipation, Armistead adopted the name Lafayette and thereafter called himself James Lafayette. He remained in the State as a farmer.

General Lafayette became an ardent foe of slavery both in America and in Europe, and it is believed that it was his association with James Armistead that helped clarify his views on slavery, leading him to begin his strong public crusade against that evil.

In 1824, General Lafayette made his final visit to America; his tour across the nation was greeted by crowds of thousands in city after city. When touring Richmond, the General recognized in the crowd his black comrade from four decades earlier (now an old man) and called him out by name and embraced him – the last time the two patriot friends were to meet.

Response by MCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 7 at 2016 5:20 PM

MCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 17:20:22 -0500

I recall very clearly, being taught that Crispus Attucks was an unemployed alcoholic, that was shot by a stray bullet (non-rifled slug) as he lay, unconscious, in the ditch, intoxicated. I also clearly recall being told this by SEVERAL teachers in Junior High and High School.

I'm very happy I developed a taste for my own historical research later in life.

Response by COL Charles Williams made Mar 7 at 2016 10:48 PM

COL Charles Williams — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 22:48:57 -0500

SPC Andrew Griffin Interesting... as a High School teacher... I think we teach less and less about American history.

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 11 at 2016 4:41 AM

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 04:41:00 -0400

Unfortunately most of those who have grown up in the dumbing down of education do not learn much about history except the politically correct versions and that is to our shame. He definitely deserves mention but ask any 9th grade history student and they will say "who?"

Response by SFC Marcus Belt made Apr 11 at 2016 5:45 AM

SFC Marcus Belt — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 05:45:10 -0400

His death would have been insignificant if it hadn't been for the message that was crafted about it. Even the name "Boston Massacre" was created to inflame anti-British sentiment. In a sense, the fact that he is largely unremembered today is insignificant against the greater narrative. If I am not mistaken, Paul Revere crafted the silver plates used to disseminate the depiction of the massacre to newspapers throughout the Colonies, and that depiction itself was created with the specific intent of generating a strong anti-British emotional response. Masterful!

Response by SMSgt Lawrence McCarter made Apr 19 at 2017 1:18 AM

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 01:18:17 -0400

The picture from Paul Revere of the Boston Massacre as depicted by Him to stir resentment towards this event and the British authorities.

Response by CWO4 Brook Kelsey made Nov 6 at 2019 1:56 AM

CWO4 Brook Kelsey — Wed, 06 Nov 2019 01:56:50 -0500

Specialist very educated question! The context is lost on today’s younger generation. Good job for you educated man!

Response by SPC Willie Pace made Jul 13 at 2022 6:14 PM

SPC Willie Pace — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 18:14:16 -0400

It is known as the death in the American Revolution.

Response by SGT Michael Pardee made Jul 14 at 2022 4:54 AM

SGT Michael Pardee — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 04:54:21 -0400

A great deal !!