Boston, Massachusetts became the center of tension and rebellion in America during the years leading up to the American Revolution. On the streets of Boston, fights frequently broke out between American Patriots and British soldiers.

Problems came to a climax on March 5, 1770 when a group of young patriots taunted a British soldier stationed in the colony. Crispus Attucks, a Mulatto slave living in Boston at the time, was among the young men. After repetitious abuse, the soldier retaliated by beating one of the youngsters with his musket. Hearing the ruckus, a mob of colonists quickly assembled, and seven British soldiers came to control the growing, angry crowd. In a state of confusion, stress, and perhaps self-defense, the soldiers fired upon the crowd. Five men died as a result, including Attucks, the only colored man to do so. Labeled the "Boston Massacre," this event sparked political and personal controversy, turning Patriot against Loyalist and Loyalist against Patriot and paved the way for the American Revolution.

Attucks is buried next to the four other victims of the Massacre in Granary Cemetery of Boston, Massachusetts. His burial is significant as the only colored man entombed in Granary Cemetery, memorialized next to such prominent men as Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock. His legacy as not only the first martyr of the revolution, but the first colored martyr as well, is marked by this site.

This narrative written by University of West Florida Public History Student, Natalie Ray