Crispus Attucks, a dockworker and sailor, is deemed the first victim of the Boston Massacre in 1770, but his motivations were likely tied to local labor grievances against British soldiers, not a fight for liberty. Often portrayed as a martyr, his story has been manipulated by figures like Samuel Adams to serve propaganda motives for the Revolutionary cause. The true identity and life of Attucks remain largely unknown even as his symbolic significance as a revolutionary figure persists.
"It is unlikely, however, that Attucks joined the mob on the night of 5 March 1770 to advance the cause of upper-class White colonists..."
"The term 'Boston Massacre' was coined by the Patriot colonist Samuel Adams... and Attucks became a convenient figure to become the first martyr of the American Revolution."
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