The historical records of slave families were poorly kept. His father might have been African, and his mother might have been a member of the Nantucket tribe--or maybe not. His body was carried to Faneuil Hall, where it lay in state until March 8, when all five victims were buried in a common grave. His father, Prince, was from Africa and brought as a slave to America. His mother was Nancy Attucks. It is believed that Crispus Attucks was born in Framingham, Massachusetts, around the year 1723, as the son of Prince Yonger, an African born slave, and Nancy Peterattucks, a Natick Native American. John Adams, later the second president of the United States, defended the soldiers at trial and won an acquittal for them by arguing that Crispus Attucks and the others were common thugs, not political freedom-fighters. Crispus Attucks was an African/Native American man who became the first casualty of the American Revolution and the first person to die at the Boston massacre. Crispus was the first person shot and killed with two bullets in the chest in the historic event that became known as The Boston Massacre. The exact date of his birth is unknown. Crispus Attucks. Attucks was the first to fall, thus becoming one of the first men to lose his life in the cause of American independence. He would eventually escape slavery around 1750 and work for the next 2 decades as a whaler and rope-maker sailing in and out of Boston, possibly living under the alias Michael Johnson. Crispus Attucks was of African and Native American ancestry. His mother, Nancy, was a slave of Indian descent. Crispus Attucks Birth Date c. 1723 Death Date March 5, 1770 Place of Birth Framingham, Massachusetts Place of Death Boston, Massachusetts. So the childhood life of Attucks was not documented until 1750. In 1888 the Crispus Attucks monument was unveiled in the Boston Common. His mother, Nancy, was a member of the Natick Indian Tribe. Crispus Attucks. Attucks’s life prior to the day of his death is still shrouded in mystery. He was probably a runaway slave, but it's hard to be sure. It is also speculated that he was the descendant of John Attuck, who was hanged during the King Philip's War. That advertisement proclaimed that “Crispas” had run away and described him as 27 years old and 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 metres) tall. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Died:5-Mar-1770. Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Crispus Attucks, was honored in 2001.He was an American stevedore of African and Native American descent, widely regarded as the first person killed in the Boston Massacre in 1770 and thus the first American killed in the American Revolution.Historians disagree on whether he was a free man or an escaped slave, but most agree that he was of … Location of death:Boston, MA. Crispus Attucks is remembered as the first American to die in the colonists’ fight for freedom from Britain. An interesting account about a lesser-known hero of the American Revolution, Crispus Attucks who, born into a slave family in Framingham, Massachusetts of a Wampanoag mother and African father, eventually escaped, became a harpooner for a whaling ship, and was the first of five people killed in the Boston Massacre of 1770. The soldiers fired on the crowd and Attucks was killed, along with four others. There were rumors that he was from Framingham, Massachusetts, and that he was known fo… This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Crispus-Attucks, Public Broadcasting Service - Africans in America - Biography of Crispus Attucks, African American Registry - Biography of Crispus Attucks, BlackPast.org - Biography of Crispus Attucks, Crispus Attucks - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Crispus Attucks - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Two major sources of eyewitness testimony about the Boston Massacre published in 1770 did not refer to … According to the New England Historical Society, Attucks is believed to have been born sometime around 1723 in the vicinity of Framingham, Massachusetts, possibly in Natick, a … Corrections? Four men died and six were wounded, one man died later from his wounds. Massachusetts, constituent state of the United States of America. He was 6 feet 2 inches tall. Cause of death:War. Attucks escaped around 1750 to work on whaling ships. Born into slavery in Framingham, MA. Omissions? Crispus Attucks was born into slavery in Framingham, Massachusetts in 1723. All we really know about Crispus Attucks is that he was African-American--unless he wasn't, and he was actually a person of mixed ancestry. Remains:Buried, Granary Burial Ground, Boston, MA. His mother was a Natick Indian named Nancy Attucks and his father was believed to have been an African slave named Prince Yonger. After the trial, patriots said it proved that even a British soldier could get a fair trial in independence-minded Boston. Gender:Male. Crispus Attucks 1723-1770 The 1st Martyr of the American Revolution born of mixed ancestry African, Indian, & white from a Indian settlement near Massachusetts. Crispus Attucks, (born 1723?—died March 5, 1770, Boston, Mass. In the advertisement, Brown offered a reward of 10 pounds to whoever found and returned Attucks to him. Birthplace:Framingham, MA. The Boston Massacre Memorial was dedicated near the Tremont Street Mall on Boston Common in 1888, honoring Crispus Attucks and the other victims of the March 5, 1770 Boston Massacre.The work of Robert Kraus, the memorial is a standing bronze figure of the Revolution breaking the chains of © Copyright 1998-2021 by Who2, LLC. Take a snapshot of your knowledge of the historical faces in this quiz. His life up until he was 27 years old is a mystery, but in 1750 Deacon William Brown of Framingham, Massachusetts, placed a notice in the Boston Gazette that a man he enslaved, Attucks, had run away. Crispus escaped slavery on September 30, 1750 when he was about … We do allow cookies to help our advertising partners give you a better ad experience. In 1750, William Brown, a slave-owner in Framingham, put out an advertisement about a runaway slave named Crispus. Crispus Attucks is remembered as the first American to die in the colonists’ fight for freedom from Britain. Who2 does not collect any personal information. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... What was Buffalo Bill’s real name? As an African American patriot Crispus Attucks represents the 5,000 African American soldiers who fought for an independent America. Attucks was raised as a slave in Colonel Buckminster farm. His father, Prince Yonger, was thought to have been a slave brought to America from Africa and his mother Nancy Attucks was a Natick Indian. Not much is known about Attucks, but most historians agree that he was of mixed blood of African and Native American descent. In 1750 Brown advertised for the return of a runaway slave named Crispas. Although nothing is known definitively about his ancestry, his father is thought to be Prince Yonger, a slave who was brought to America, while his mother is thought to be Nancy Attucks, a Natick Indian. Who Was Crispus Attucks? Crispus Attucks was born into slavery in Framingham, Massachusetts in 1723. William Brown was a wealthy slave owner in Boston. His father, Prince, was brought to the colonies as a slave from Africa. Some historians believe Attucks was of African and Native American descent. He was born into a hard life and slavery. The shootings were quickly dubbed “The Boston Massacre” and seized on by angry colonists as a case of brutality by heavy-handed British rulers. In the Boston Gazette on Oct. 2, 1750, William Brown, a resident of Framingham, Mass., advertised for the recovery of a runaway slave named “Crispas”—usually thought to be the Crispus in question. It is believed that his birth happened in the outskirts of Boston USA. Crispus Attucks was of mixed blood, with his father an African American slave and his mother a Native American. The public outcry after … Robertson played point guard and was a 12-time All-Star, 11-time member of the All-NBA Team, and one-time winner of the MVP award in 14 seasons. Town histories of Framingham written in 1847 and 1887 describe him as a slave of Deacon William Brown, though it is unclear whether Brown was his original owner. The family's master was Colonel Buckminster. He was also sold to William Brown and grew up in Colonel Buckminster house. [U.S.]), American hero, martyr of the Boston Massacre. Crispus Attucks was later hailed as a patriotic hero. It is believed that Crispus Attucks was born in Framingham, Massachusetts, around the year 1723, as the son of Prince Yonger, an African born slave, and Nancy Peterattucks, a Natick Native American. In the 20-year interval between his escape from slavery and his death at the hands of British soldiers, Attucks probably spent a good deal of time aboard whaling ships. He was born in about 1723 and probably grew up in a Natick Indian settlement. Jackie Kennedy’s Last Visit to the White House, From MLK to Sen. Warnock, Ebenezer Baptist Church Has Been a Seat of Black Power for Generations in Atlanta. Despite that result, Crispus Attucks was held up as a martyr for defending political liberty. Crispus Attucks was born in Boston and became notable as the first casualty of the Boston Massacre; he has become an icon of the American Revolution in the U.S. Attucks was one of the Boston Patriots to die during the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770. 1780 Apr 11, 1723, Crispus attucks is born in farmingham, Massachusetts Mar 5, 1770, The death of Crispus Attucks Mar 5, 1770, Boston Massacre. Crispus Attucks, (born 1723?—died March 5, 1770, Boston, Mass. What (and Who) Should Replace Confederate Statues? 1 Biography 2 Trivia 3 Character Sheet 4 Gallery 5 References Attucks was born a slave in the 18th century to an Indian mother and African father. Crispus Attucks (c.1723 – March 5, 1770) was an American stevedore of African and Native American descent, widely regarded as the first person killed in the Boston Massacre and thus the first American killed in the American Revolution. All that is definitely known about him concerns the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). American revolutionary patriot Born: c. 1723 Birthplace: Boston Of mixed African and American Indian ancestry, Attucks was the slave of William Brown of Framingham, Mass. The exact date of his birth is unknown. Crispus Attucks was an escaped slave of African and Native American descent, but not much else is known about him.