Crispus Attucks — The First to Die in the American Revolution
Crispus Attucks — The First to Die in the American Revolution
Embedded Files
Depiction of Crispus Attucks (no known portrait exists). Illustration. Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Martyrdom of the Colored American Crispus Attucks! Broadside. 1863. Massachusetts Historical Society.
Black Revolutionary War Patriots Commemorative Coin. Image. United States Mint.
Overview:
Crispus Attucks (1723 - 1770) was born near Framingham, Massachusetts. He was of African and Native American ancestry and stood about six feet, two inches tall. As a young man, he was likely enslaved but escaped and later worked as a sailor. By 1770, tensions between colonists and British soldiers were high in Boston. On March 5, 1770, Attucks joined a crowd protesting British rule. During the confrontation, British soldiers fired into the crowd, killing Attucks and four others. This event became known as the Boston Massacre. Attucks is widely remembered as the first person killed in the struggle for American independence, making him an important early figure in the American Revolution.
Quick Facts:
Born around 1723 near Framingham, Massachusetts
Of African American and Native American ancestry
About 6 feet 2 inches tall
Escaped from slavery in 1750
Worked as a sailor in the Atlantic trade
Killed on March 5, 1770, in the Boston Massacre
Considered the first martyr of the American Revolution
Shot during a confrontation with British soldiers
Honored by abolitionists in the 1800s
Remembered through monuments, schools, and a U.S. commemorative coin
Why This Story Matters:
Crispus Attucks matters because his death helped spark the movement toward American independence. As the first person killed in the Boston Massacre, he became a powerful symbol of resistance against unfair treatment. His story also shows that people of African and Native American ancestry played key roles in shaping the nation’s history. In the years that followed, abolitionists used Attucks’ sacrifice to argue that African Americans deserved freedom and full citizenship. His life challenged ideas about race and belonging in early America. Attucks continues to represent courage, protest, and the fight for justice. His legacy reminds students that ordinary people can influence major historical events.
Five Sources that Tell His Story
A Runaway Named Crispas
This advertisement describes a 20-year-old man named Crispas, who had escaped enslavement in Framingham, Massachusetts. It provides details about his appearance and clothing and offers a reward for his capture and return.
The advertisement is significant because it may be one of the earliest surviving records connected to the man later remembered as Crispus Attucks. It gives us a glimpse of his life before the events of March 5, 1770—and reminds us that historical evidence sometimes comes from records created for purposes very different from preserving someone's story.
Boston Gazette, October 2, 1750
A Story Written in the Aftermath of His Death
This historical engraving was created in 1770, within weeks of the Boston Massacre. It was published as the frontispiece to A Short Narrative of the Horrid Massacre in Boston, an account commissioned by Boston's town government to document the events of March 5. The image depicts British soldiers firing into a crowd on King Street, with the bodies of those killed in the street. Most importantly for Crispus Attucks's story, the caption identifies him by name among the five people killed.
The engraving is more than an illustration. It is evidence of how the Boston Massacre was presented to the public almost immediately after it occurred. The orderly line of soldiers and the portrayal of the victims reflected Boston's effort to present the event as an example of British military violence. The image helped turn a local confrontation into a powerful symbol of British oppression—and helped shape the public memory of the event.
Courtesy, the Library of Congress.
The Official Record of His Death
This document is a section of the coroner's inquisition creating an official record in the aftermath of the Boston Massacre. Documents like this allow historians to examine what government officials recorded about the deaths of the five men killed on March 5, 1770—including Crispus Attucks.
Coroner's Inquistion Document, Suffolk County, March 6, 1770.
An Image that Shaped Public Memory
This engraving, attributed to Paul Revere, presented the first four victims of the Boston Massacre. Published shortly after the event, the image became one of the most influential visual representations of the massacre. It also reminds us that historical images are not simply photographs of what happened; they reflect the perspective and purpose of the person who created them.
Boston Gazette and Country Journal, March 12, 1770
Remembering Attucks:
The image comes from the 1855 edition of The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution by William Cooper Nell, one of the earliest major works to document the military service and contributions of African Americans during the Revolution. Nell identified Crispus Attucks as “The First Martyr of the American Revolution,” emphasizing his place in the struggle that began in Boston on March 5, 1770.
Created more than 80 years after Attucks's death, the illustration is also significant because it shows how Black Americans were preserving and interpreting their own history before the Civil War. Nell was not simply recording an event; he was making an argument about who belonged in the story of the American Revolution—and whose sacrifice deserved to be remembered.
Legacy:
Crispus Attucks’ legacy has grown over time. In the 1800s, African Americans honored him as a hero who stood up for freedom. Leaders like William C. Nell promoted his story to show the importance of Black contributions to American history. Attucks Day celebrations were created to remember his sacrifice. Today, his name appears on schools, organizations, and public monuments, including one on Boston Common. In 1998, the United States honored him with a commemorative coin. Attucks remains a symbol of courage and equality. His life reminds people that the fight for freedom has always included diverse voices.
Discussion Questions:
Why might it be important to know that Crispus Attucks, the first person to die in the struggle for American independence, was of African and Native American ancestry?
How might learning about Crispus Attucks and other Black patriots of the Revolutionary War shape a person’s sense of belonging in American history?
Why do you think stories about Black contributions to the founding of the United States have sometimes been left out or overlooked? How does including them change our understanding of our nation’s history?
Reflection Prompt:
How might learning that Crispus Attucks—a man of African and Native American ancestry—was the first to give his life for American independence change the way white Americans understand the nation’s history?
Sources & Further Reading:
Sources:
“Crispus Attucks (1723–1770).” BlackPast.org.
“Crispus Attucks.” Illustration. Encyclopaedia Britannica.
“Martyrdom of the Colored American Crispus Attucks! March 5th, 1770.” Broadside. 1863. Massachusetts Historical Society.
“Black Revolutionary War Patriots.” Article. United States Mint.
Nell, William Cooper. The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution. Print (book illustration), 1855. University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
"Advertisement for an Escaped Slave." Newspaper Advertisement. Boston Gazette, October 2, 1750. Revolutionary Spaces.
"Coroner's Inquistion for Crispus Attucks." Coroner's Inquest Document. Suffolk County, Massachusetts, March 6, 1770. Revolutionary Spaces.
"Four Coffins of Men Killed in the Boston Massacre." Engraving. Paul Revere. March 12, 1770. Boston Gazette and Country Journal. Massachusetts Historical Society.
The Massacre Perpetrated in King Street, Boston on March 5th 1770. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. Website.
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