As it’s the 250th anniversary of the Boston Massacre, I am wondering if the killing of Crispus Attucks, a man of African and Indigenous descent, was racially motivated. From what I understand, the British soldiers opened fire on hecklers, and Attucks was the first of 5 killed. Was his death being first coincidental or was his race a factor in the British opening fire?
Hi there! I've written about Crispus Attucks participation in the past, which you can read in this thread. In it, I point to the fact that it was likely not his race, but his stature that likely made him an "easier" target. Attucks was very tall for the 1770s and although his race is commented on in newspapers and eyewitness accounts, it is more often his physical stature that is brought to attention. Combined with the fact that he was standing at the very front of the crowd menacing the British soldiers, it is no coincidence that he became one of the first casualties.