(How) Did African Americans (Free and Enslaved) participate in colonial protests before Crispus Attucks and the Boston Massacre?

by JoeCos47

There is plenty of documentation about African Americans in the military during the Revolution, but I'm interested in how free and enslaved Blacks participated in civil disobedience throughout the 1750s and 1760s before the more legendary Crispus Attucks became familiar.

Hope you guys can help! Thanks!

Bernardito

As is common the case with people of color, children and women during the revolutionary era, it is not always easy to find primary sources related to individual acts of colonial protests. Had the event that became the Boston Massacre not ended in bloodshed, it's very likely we never would have heard of Crispus Attucks. In fact, we know very little about him to start. I'd like to refer to this post of mine where I talk about Attucks and put him in the context of the political protests of the 1760s. If you have any follow-up questions or a more specific question about African Americans in revolutionary Boston, I would be happy to answer them.