"Crispus Attucks Day” was inaugurated by black abolitionists in 1858, and in 1888, the Crispus Attucks Monument was erected on the Boston Common, despite the opposition of various groups which regarded Attucks as a villain.
Essential Facts
Born as a slave of American Indian and African descent
Became a fugitive slave after running away from his master
Skilled in buying and selling cattle; he was also was a sailor of a whaler crew and sometimes worked as a ropemaker
Became the first casualty of the American Revolution when he was shot and killed during the Boston Massacre
Credited as the leader and instigator of the Boston Massacre
