I was reading the new book, Killing the Witches, but Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard when I ran into some interesting information about Crispus Attucks, who was one of the victims of the Boston Massacre. Attucks, who was born in 1723, ran away from slavery in Massachusetts when he was 27 years old. Job opportunities were slim for African-Americans, but one of the areas where they could work was on whaling vessels. Attucks also work in the rope making industry when he was on dry land. At 6 feet, 2 inches tall, Attucks was a large man for his time. He was not particularly fond of the British for two reasons. First, there was always the chance that a sailor could be abducted and forced to serve in the British Navy. It was called impressment, and would be a contributing factor the start of the War of 1912 many years later. Second, the British soldiers, who were occupying Boston at the time, were poorly paid. They went looking for work in the local economy which drove down wages for men like Attucks who were only qualified for lower paying jobs. There was a story that Attucks was drinking in pub one night when a British soldier came in demanding a job. Attucks intimidated the smaller man, forcing him to leave, much to the pleasure of the other patrons. In the late afternoon of March 5, 1770, Attucks was part of a crowd, which turned into a mob of about 400 that was harassing a group of British soldiers in front of what is now known as the Old State House in Boston. The mob was pelting the soldiers with snowballs, pieces of wood and stones. Ultimately the soldiers loaded their muskets. The crowd taunted to soldiers with the claim that they would not fire their weapons, but they were tragically wrong. The soldiers fired into the crowd killing three men on the spot and wounding eight others. Two of those men died later. Crispus Attucks was among the dead with two bullets in his chest. He was 47 years old. This Black Patriots silver dollar was issued 1998. There have been so many modern commemorative coins issued that it is hard to keep up them. I recalled this piece when I ran into that part of the book.
Knowing the stories behind some of the people honored is so important. Just seeing a name and image doesn't tell us much, but to know who they were and what they did really gives the coin meaning. I just read that book as well, I was really surprised how little of the book was dedicated to Salem in 1692, although the rest did tie in.
