48-1049: Attucks may refer to: People [ edit ] Crispus Attucks , early victim of the American Revolution Institutions [ edit ] Attucks Theatre , located in Norfolk, Virginia Crispus Attucks Communication and Writing Magnet School , elementary school located in Kansas City, Missouri Crispus Attucks High School , high school located in Indianapolis, Indiana Attucks High School , school in Hopkinsville, Kentucky Attucks School , school in Vinita, Oklahoma Commerce [ edit ] Attucks Music Publishing Company (1904–1911), Manhattan, New York Topics referred to by
96-405: A Quaker tried to free one of his slaves. In the early 1800s, Isaac T. Hopper , a Quaker from Philadelphia, and a group of people from North Carolina established a network of stations in their local area. In 1831, when Tice David was captured going into Ohio from Kentucky, his enslaver blamed an "Underground Railroad" who helped in the escape. Eight years later, while being tortured for his escape,
144-618: A $ 500 (equivalent to $ 11,390 in 2023) fine if they assisted slaves in their escape. Slave hunters were obligated to obtain a court-approved affidavit in order to apprehend an enslaved individual, giving rise to the formation of an intricate network of safe houses commonly known as the Underground Railroad. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 , part of the Compromise of 1850 , was a federal law that declared that all fugitive slaves should be returned to their enslavers. Because
192-654: A connection between Attucks and John Attuck of Framingham , a Narragansett man who was hanged in Framingham in 1676 during King Philip's War . The word for "deer" in the Narragansett language is "Attuck." Kachun also noted a possible connection to a probable Natick woman and possible Attucks mother or relative named Nanny Peterattucks, who is described as a 'negro woman' in the 1747 estate inventory of Framingham slaveholder Joseph Buckminster and, along with Jacob Peterattucks, as 'probable descendant of John Attuck,
240-501: A copy from which prints were made and distributed. Some copies of the print show a dark-skinned man with chest wounds, presumably representing Crispus Attucks. Other copies of the print show no difference in the skin tones of the victims. The five who were killed were buried as heroes in the Granary Burying Ground , which also contains the graves of Samuel Adams , John Hancock , and other notable figures. Customs of
288-504: A former enslaved person could be brought back into a slave state to be sold back into slavery if they were without freedom papers. In 1851, there was a case of a black coffeehouse waiter whom federal marshals kidnapped on behalf of John Debree, who claimed to be the man's enslaver. Enslavers often harshly punished those they successfully recaptured, such as by amputating limbs, whipping, branding, and hobbling. Individuals who aided fugitive slaves were charged and punished under this law. In
336-472: A man named Jim said he was going north along the "underground railroad to Boston." Fellow enslaved people often helped those who had run away. They gave signals, such as the lighting of a particular number of lamps, or the singing of a particular song on Sunday, to let escaping people know if it was safe to be in the area or if there were slave hunters nearby. If the freedom seeker stayed in a slave cabin, they would likely get food and learn good hiding places in
384-472: A mechanism to reach Canada. Canada was a haven for enslaved African-Аmericans because it had already abolished slavery by 1783. Black Canadians were also provided equal protection under the law. The well-known Underground Railroad "conductor" Harriet Tubman is said to have led approximately 300 enslaved people to Canada. In some cases, freedom seekers immigrated to Europe and the Caribbean islands . One of
432-467: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Crispus Attucks Crispus Attucks ( c. 1723 – March 5, 1770) was an American whaler, sailor, and stevedore of African and Native American descent who is traditionally regarded as the first person killed in the Boston Massacre , and as a result the first American killed in
480-579: Is unclear whether Attucks had permanently left his mother's home by that point. Neither Phebe nor the son are recorded with the Attucks or Peterattucks surname. In the fall of 1768, British troops were sent to Boston to maintain order amid growing colonial unrest which had led to a spate of attacks on local officials following the introduction of the Stamp Act and the subsequent Townshend Acts . Radical Whigs had coordinated waterfront mobs against
528-592: The American Revolution . While he is widely remembered as the first American casualty of the American Revolutionary War , 11-year-old Christopher Seider was shot a few weeks earlier by customs officer Ebenezer Richardson on February 22, 1770. Historians disagree on whether Attucks was a free man or an escaped slave, but most agree that he was of Wampanoag and African descent. Two major sources of eyewitness testimony about
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#1732791943028576-482: The Southern United States were concerned that free states would protect people who fled slavery. The United States Constitution , ratified in 1788, never uses the words "slave" or "slavery" but recognized its existence in the so-called fugitive slave clause ( Article IV, Section 2, Clause 3 ), the three-fifths clause , and the prohibition on prohibiting the importation of "such Persons as any of
624-529: The anti-slavery movement in the mid-19th century. Supporters of the abolition movement lauded him for playing a heroic role in the history of the United States. Attucks was born in Framingham, Massachusetts . 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. In 1750, Brown advertised for
672-416: The north star to make her way north. She preferred to guide runaway slaves on Saturdays because newspapers were not published on Sundays, which gave her a one-day head-start before runaway advertisements would be published. She preferred the winters because the nights were longer when it was the safest to travel. Tubman wore disguises. She sang songs in different tempos, such as Go Down Moses and Bound For
720-563: The Boston Massacre published in 1770 did not refer to him as black or as a Negro; it appears he was instead viewed by Bostonians as being of mixed ethnicity. According to a contemporaneous account in the Pennsylvania Gazette , he was a " Mulattoe man, named Crispus Attucks, who was born in Framingham , but lately belonged to New Providence, and was here in order to go for North Carolina ." Attucks became an icon of
768-581: The Indian' in an 1847 history of Framingham. Other sources refer to their surname as Peter Attucks. In a 1747 history of the Hoosac Valley, an African colonial militiaman named Moses Peter Attucks, living in nearby Leicester , is described as a 'negro slave of John White; elsewhere he is listed as Moses Attucks Jacob Peterattucks and Nanny Peterattucks are recorded as slaves with Joseph Buckminster in 1730, and in 1740 Jacob with Thomas Buckminster, who
816-489: The Massacre, both published in 1770, did not refer to Attucks as "black" or as a "Negro," but rather as a mulatto and an Indian . In an account from Philadelphia's Pennsylvania Gazette , a man who may have been Attucks was referred to as a " Mulattoe man, named Crispas, who was born in Framingham, but lately belonged to New-Providence, and was here in order to go for North Carolina." However, during Attucks's time, mulatto
864-478: The States now existing shall think proper to admit" ( Article I, Section 9 ). The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 is the first of two federal laws that allowed for runaway slaves to be captured and returned to their enslavers. Congress passed the measure in 1793 to enable agents for enslavers and state governments, including free states, to track and capture bondspeople. They were also able to penalize individuals with
912-625: The United States altogether, traveling to Canada or Mexico . Approximately 100,000 enslaved Americans escaped to freedom. Beginning in 1643, slave laws were enacted in Colonial America , initially among the New England Confederation and then by several of the original Thirteen Colonies . In 1705, the Province of New York passed a measure to keep bondspeople from escaping north into Canada . Over time,
960-685: The United States—including Spanish Florida , Indian Territory , and Western United States —and into Canada and Mexico. The Underground Railroad was initially an escape route that would assist fugitive enslaved African Americans in arriving in the Northern states; however, with the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, as well as other laws aiding the Southern states in the capture of runaway slaves, it became
1008-542: The acts or prevent the capture of escaped enslaved people by setting up laws to protect their rights. The most notable is the Massachusetts Liberty Act. This act was passed to keep escaped slaves from being returned to their enslavers through abduction by federal marshals or bounty hunters. Wisconsin and Vermont also enacted legislation to bypass the federal law. Abolitionists became more involved in Underground Railroad operations. In order to throw off
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#17327919430281056-447: The authorities. The presence of troops, instead of reducing tensions, served to further inflame them. After dusk on March 5, 1770, a wigmaker's apprentice mistakenly accused a British officer of not paying a bill. The officer ignored his insults but a sentry intervened after the boy began physically assaulting the officer. Both townspeople and nine soldiers of the 29th Regiment of Foot gathered. The colonists threw snowballs and debris at
1104-582: The capturing of fugitive slaves was a federal matter in which states did not have the power to interfere. Many free state citizens were outraged at the criminalization of actions by Underground Railroad operators and abolitionists who helped people escape slavery. It is considered one of the causes of the American Civil War (1861–1865). Congress repealed the Fugitive Acts of 1793 and 1850 on June 28, 1864. Many states tried to nullify
1152-624: The case of Ableman v. Booth , the latter was charged with aiding Joshua Glover's escape in Wisconsin by preventing his capture by federal marshals. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was unconstitutional, requiring states to violate their laws. Ableman v. Booth was appealed by the federal government to the US Supreme Court, which upheld the act's constitutionality. The Underground Railroad
1200-542: The docks along the Atlantic seaboard. In an 1874 article in The American Historical Record , Jebe B. Fisher recounts a passage in the memoirs of Boston Tea Party participant George R.T. Hewes , which stated that at the time of the massacre, Attucks "was a Nantucket Indian, belonging onboard a whale ship of Mr. Folgers, then in the harbor, and he remembers a distinct war whoop which he yelled...
1248-575: The enslaved person had committed a crime and that the slaveholder was the injured party. Generally, they tried to reach states or territories where slavery was banned, including Canada , or, until 1821, Spanish Florida . Most slave laws tried to control slave travel by requiring them to carry official passes if traveling without an enslaver. Passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 increased penalties against runaway slaves and those who aided them. Because of this, some freedom seekers left
1296-500: The father of Attucks. However, according to Framingham town histories, Yonger did not arrive in Massachusetts until 1725, after Attucks was born, and did not marry Nanny Peterattucks until 1737, after which point they had children, who are noted in multiple town histories but among whom Crispus is not mentioned: "a son, who died young, and Phebe, who never married." It is possible Yonger became Attucks' stepfather in 1737, though it
1344-503: The first to die, with Maverick, Carr, and Gray. Call it riot or revolution, or mob or crowd as you may, such deaths have been seeds of nations, such lives shall be honored for aye [...] Runaway slave In the United States, fugitive slaves or runaway slaves were terms used in the 18th and 19th centuries to describe people who fled slavery . The term also refers to the federal Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850 . Such people are also called freedom seekers to avoid implying that
1392-432: The gourd-shell squaw , from the fact that she used to carry her rum in a gourd shell [...] the whole family are said to be the children of Jacob Peter Attucks... it has been conjectured that they are of Indian blood, but all who knew the descendants describe them as negroes. The letter continues, "his sister [Sal] used to say that if they had not killed Cris, Cris would have killed them." Prince Yonger has been posited as
1440-533: The habits of sailors. Question: Did you know the Indian who was killed? Answer: No. Question: Did you see any of them press on the soldiers with a cordwood stick? Answer: No. Historians differ in opinion on Attucks's heritage: some assert his family had intermarried with African slaves, while others maintain he had no African heritage. It is widely acknowledged that Attucks had considerable Native American heritage. Biographer Mitch Kachun, as well as multiple 19th century Framingham town histories, have drawn
1488-415: The hero of the night," and with having precipitated a conflict by his "mad behavior." Two years later United States Founding Father Samuel Adams , a cousin of John Adams, named the event the "Boston Massacre," and helped ensure it would not be forgotten. Boston artist Henry Pelham (half-brother of the celebrated portrait painter John Singleton Copley ) created an image of the event. Paul Revere made
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1536-414: The legislation as a way in which the federal government overstepped its authority because the legislation could be used to force them to act against abolitionist beliefs. Many free states eventually passed "personal liberty laws", which prevented the kidnapping of alleged runaway slaves; however, in the court case known as Prigg v. Pennsylvania , the personal liberty laws were ruled unconstitutional because
1584-616: The mob whistling, screaming, and rending like an Indian yell." Many historians believe Attucks went by the alias Michael Johnson in order to avoid being caught after his escape from slavery. He may only have been temporarily in Boston in early 1770, having recently returned from a voyage to the Bahamas . He was due to leave shortly afterward on a ship for North Carolina . Though he is commonly described as an African American in popular culture, two major sources of eyewitness testimony about
1632-668: The most notable runaway slaves of American history and conductors of the Underground Railroad is Harriet Tubman . Born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland , around 1822, Tubman as a young adult, escaped from her enslaver's plantation in 1849. Between 1850 and 1860, she returned to the South numerous times to lead parties of other enslaved people to freedom, guiding them through the lands she knew well. She aided hundreds of people, including her parents, in their escape from slavery. Tubman followed north–south flowing rivers and
1680-507: The period discouraged the burial of black people and white people together, with "black burials relegated to the rear or far side of the cemetery. Such a practice was not completely unknown, however. Prince Hall , for example, was interred in Copp's Hill Burying Ground in the North End of Boston 39. And to honor Crispus Attucks who was the leader and voice that day: The first to defy, and
1728-452: The return of a runaway slave named Crispas. In the advertisement, Brown describes Attucks and his clothing when he was last seen. He also said that a reward of 10 pounds would be given to whoever found and returned Attucks to him. Attucks's status at the time of the massacre as a free person or a runaway slave has been a matter of debate for historians. Attucks became a sailor and whaler, and he spent much of his life at sea or working around
1776-563: The same grave site in Boston's Granary Burying Ground . He had lived for approximately 47 years. John Adams successfully defended most of the accused soldiers against a charge of murder. Two were found guilty of manslaughter. Faced with the prospect of hanging, the soldiers pleaded benefit of clergy , and were instead branded on their thumbs. In his arguments, Adams called the crowd "a motley rabble of saucy boys, negros and molattoes, Irish teagues and outlandish Jack Tarrs ." In particular, he charged Attucks with having "undertaken to be
1824-411: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Attucks . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Attucks&oldid=1209210547 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
1872-452: The slave states agreed to have California enter as a free state, the free states agreed to pass the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Congress passed the act on September 18, 1850, and repealed it on June 28, 1864. The act strengthened the federal government's authority in capturing fugitive slaves. The act authorized federal marshals to require free state citizen bystanders to aid in the capturing of runaway slaves. Many free state citizens perceived
1920-467: The soldiers. A group of men including Attucks approached the Old State House armed with clubs and sticks . A soldier was struck with a piece of wood, an act some witnesses claimed was done by Attucks. Other witnesses stated that Attucks was "leaning upon a stick" when the soldiers opened fire. Five colonists were killed and six were wounded. Attucks took two ricocheted bullets in the chest and
1968-483: The states began to divide into slave states and free states . Maryland and Virginia passed laws to reward people who captured and returned enslaved people to their enslavers. Slavery was abolished in five states by the time of the Constitutional Convention in 1787. At that time, New Hampshire , Vermont , Massachusetts , Connecticut and Rhode Island had become free states. Legislators from
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2016-531: The tracking dogs off the trail, escaped slaves rubbed turpentine on their shoes, or scattered "soil from a graveyard" on their tracks. Another technique for scent masking was the use of wild onions or other pungent weeds. Enslavers were outraged when an enslaved person was found missing, many of them believing that slavery was good for the enslaved person, and if they ran away, it was the work of abolitionists , with one enslaver arguing that "They are indeed happy, and if let alone would still remain so". (A new name
2064-550: The woods as they made their way north. Hiding places called "stations" were set up in private homes, churches, and schoolhouses in border states between slave and free states. John Brown had a secret room in his tannery to give escaped enslaved people places to stay on their way. People who maintained the stations provided food, clothing, shelter, and instructions about reaching the next "station". Often, enslaved people had to make their way through southern slave states on their own to reach them. The network extended throughout
2112-539: Was a network of black and white abolitionists between the late 18th century and the end of the American Civil War who helped fugitive slaves escape to freedom. Members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), African Methodist Episcopal Church , Baptists , Methodists , and other religious sects helped in operating the Underground Railroad. In 1786, George Washington complained that
2160-626: Was appointed by Framingham in 1739 to lead a commission for the preservation of deer in the area. Historian William C. Nell reported an 1860 letter from a Natick resident, also printed in an 1860 edition of The Liberator newspaper that read, Several persons are now living in Natick who remember the Attucks family, viz., Cris, who was killed March 5th; Sam, whose name was abbreviated into Sam Attucks, or Smattox; Sal, also known as Slattox; and Peter, called Pea Tattox [...] my mother, still living, aged 89, remembers Sal in particular, who used to be called
2208-414: Was believed to be the first to die. County coroners Robert Pierpoint and Thomas Crafts Jr. conducted an autopsy on Attucks. He was "felled by two bullets to his chest, one of them 'goring the right lobe of the lungs and a great part of the liver most horribly'." Attucks' body was carried to Faneuil Hall , where it lay in state until Thursday, March 8, when he and the other victims were buried together in
2256-438: Was invented for the supposed mental illness of an enslaved person that made them want to run away: drapetomania .) Enslavers would put up flyers, place advertisements in newspapers, offer rewards, and send out posses to find them. Under the Fugitive Slave Act, enslavers could send federal marshals into free states to kidnap them. The law also brought bounty hunters into the business of returning enslaved people to their enslavers;
2304-462: Was often used to describe skin tone rather than ethnicity, and sometimes referred to full-blooded Native Americans. In Potter's American Monthly , the interchangeability of the two terms is demonstrated by court transcripts from the Attucks trial: Question: Did you see a mulatto among the persons who surrounded the soldiers? Answer: I did not observe... Question: Did they seem to be sailors or townsmen? Answer: They were dressed some of them in
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