The life of Crispus Attucks cannot be fully substantiated as records of slaves during the colony were poorly documented. There are no records of his life after he escaped his master until his death in 1770. It is believed that Attucks was born a slave in Framingham, Massachusetts in 1723. owned by Colonel Buckminster from Framingham, Massachusetts. Documents describe Crispus as a man of mixed parentage; his father, Prince, was an and his mother, Nancy, was a Wampanoag or Natick Indian forced into slavery. Crispus Attucks was named after the word “attucks” that comes from the native Wampanoag language and…
Author: Staff writer
Stamp Act and Townshend Acts Tension had been building up since the Stamp Act in 1765 when colonists united and rose to protest for the first time against the British. Citizens of Boston refused to cooperate and stood their ground leading to the Stamp Act crisis. The British had no option but to repeal the Act. Further measures such as the Townshend Acts in 1767 were not welcomed by the Americans who thought the British had no right to tax them without their consent; “No Taxation without representation” was their logo. Opposition was headed by Samuel Adams and the Sons…
The following is a transcript of the summation of John Adams in No. 64. Rex v. Wemms, pp. 260-270. The Soldiers Trial. Tuesday, NINE o’Clock, the Court met according to adjournment, and Mr. ADAMS proceeded: May it please your Honours, and you Gentlemen of the Jury, I yesterday afternoon produced from the best authorities, those rules of law which must govern all cases of homicide, particularly that which is now before you; it now remains to consider the evidence, and see whether any thing has occurred, that may be compared to the rules read to you; and I…
Documenting the life of Crispus Attucks Records of slaves during the colonies were poorly kept and little of Crispus Attucks’ life is known for a fact. Most of what is written is from witnesses’ accounts from the and from newspaper articles of the time. Attucks was born in 1723 but his exact birth date is not known. His father was from Africa and his mother a Wampanoag or Natick Indian, both were slaves. We do know, from a 1750 notice in the Boston Gazette, that his master was William Brown, who owned slaves in his plantation in Framingham, Massachusetts. From…
Uneasiness over the presence of British troops had grown, not only because of the fear of armed soldiers but also because they were taking jobs and competing with local citizens. Boston was on the point of bursting into flames, altercations between locals and soldiers occurred daily. Description of the Boston Massacre On the cold winter night of Monday March 5th, 1770 a crowd gathered in front of the Customs House where a group of young citizens was confronting eight British soldiers commanded by Captain Thomas Preston. This incident started when a young man named Edward Garrick insulted Hugh White, the…
The following is the obituary of Samuel Gray, Samuel Maverick, James Coldwell and Crispus Attucks as it appeared in the Boston Gazette and Country Journal on Monday March 12, 1770. Note that it only shows four coffins. The fifth victim, Patrick Carr, did not die on the day of the but was wounded and died nine days later on March 14th. Obituary of Patrick Carr who died of his wounds on March 14th, 1770.
Before the end of March 1770 a grand jury had indicted Captain Preston, his eight soldiers and two customs officials accused of having fired from the Custom House. The trials did not start immediately. Thomas Gage, the commander of the British army in America, urged governor Hutchinson to procrastinate until tensions had calmed down. Adams sought to have separate trials for Preston and the soldiers. Since he was not accused of killing the defense would prove that he did not command his soldiers to shoot. In the trial of the soldiers Adams sought to prove that they were following orders…