by Cindy Abbate

Created on: August 22, 2009

Crispus Attucks is regarded as one of the first Americans to die for the soon to be born new republic of the United States of America. His last name means deer in his mother's native American Indian language. Little is known about his early life but it is generally agreed upon that he was born into slavery in the state of Massachusetts. His father, Prince Younger, was a black slave and his mother, Nancy Attucks, was a member of the Natick Indian tribe. It is believed that her father (John Attucks) was executed in 1676. He was found guilty of treason during the King Philip War.

Because of his mixed heritage he would have been regarded in the day as a Molatto. It is difficult to trace his early years as the record keeping regarding the birth and trading of slaves (during this period of history) is somewhat lacking. From what can be pieced together he is thought to have been born in 1723 on a large slave plantation around Farmington. He worked beside his father in the fields but longed to do other things. As a result he apparently was regarded as lazy.

His owner had given or sold him to Deacon William Brown in the town of Farmington. Here Attucks was given jobs more attune more to his abilities. He bought cattle, worked in his owner's shop and looked for new customers. However what he really desired was freedom and a chance to work on the sea.

Around 1750 he escaped from his master to Nantucket and began to work on whaling vessels. He would have gone on long voyages during which he became an expert sailor and rope maker. It is believed that the slave notice posted by his former owner describes Attucks. It states that a 6'2" Molatto fellow with curly black hair and knees close together than normal is and escaped slave and warns against his employment on ships. However, Attucks was never caught.

Little is known about his time at sea but he was in Boston on March 5, 1770. He was probably waiting to ship out to the Carolinas and had found employment as a dock worker. The events leading up to the drama that was about to take place began about two years earlier in 1768.

Addition British troops had been sent to the colonies in an answer to the unrest stirred by extra taxes. The Mother country's involvement in the seven year war (fought mainly in Europe) had pushed the government to raise taxes and demand exclusive trade with the colonies This had angered the colonists and unrest had followed. In response Britain had increased its military presence,

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