The Boston Massacre, and Framingham's Historical Elite's fall for Propaganda
I tend to leave history alone feeling that there are those who know more than myself I was led to believe these "historical elite" would have a final say on how history should be interpreted. I, like most, thought that certain historical events that I grew up on were etched in stone and completely true either by way of written word or pictorial display. I was wrong.
Take the Boston Massacre of March 5, 1770.
The town that I live in, Framingham, MA, USA incorporated 1700, happens to be celebrating it's Tricentennial this year. With that is expected to be much fanfare for anything that has ties to Framingham in any historical sense.
One such connection that is happening at a blinding and unquestionable speed is the naming of a nearby bridge here in town after the famous Boston Massacres Crispus Attucks.
Crispus Attucks has been chosen by the minority elite and others as a tried and true "hero" for being the first to die at the Boston Massacre.
Crispus was a product of three nationalities according to Framingham's own historical book Temples History.
http://www.framingham.com/history/hstsoc_3.htm
My connection to Crispus was through being a Producer of a local town history show some years back. I always wondered why when interviewing our town historian when Crispus Attucks was mentioned it was done almost apologetically. I later found out why.
You see the Boston Massacre hasn't been accepted totally with open arms by some historical researches.
Those of us who have let the search engines of our lives go deeper than the surface have come up with some disturbing things about Crispus.
You see, Crispus might not be the poster child that some have been led to believe.
Pictures through paintings have shown that contrary to what most see as facts put Crispus and others with him that faithful night as being not innocent victims but individuals who got their just deserts.
When one examines paintings and testimonies of this event one comes to a disheartening conclusion that Crispus and friends may have been looking for trouble that night. Trouble enough to carry concealed weapons of swords, sticks, oyster shells and snowballs mixed with rocks to cause major damage to the opposing parties.
Those paintings which depict this event faithfully would show these weapons being used or flung through the air at the British soldiers causing some to crash to the ground in withering pain.
The propaganda paintings by none other than Paul Revere show even more sacrilege. Reveres piece of propaganda shows the British soldiers firing point blank on the rioting crowd with the Captain of the group behind the British soldiers giving command to fire.
This couldn't be father from the truth. According to Captain Prestons own testimony and the testimony of many others Captain Preston was between the soldiers and the rioters trying to calm things down imperiling his own life.
Paul Revere I guess you could say was the propaganda man of Boston being the inciter of rabid patriotism by his inaccurate depiction of this event.
It sure worked.
When a black historian in our town was confronted with the facts that this event was more of a riot led by thugs the local reporter asked this historian, who obviously was as biased to the Crispus cause as you could get, if Crispus Attucks actions was a good role model. Now, just to fill you in on what Attucks actions were. It was said he and those behind him were screaming like Indians and yelling "Kill Them, Kill them" while Attucks was brandishing a huge three inch in diameter stick which he used quite expertly either in a riotous rage
or by throwing it with direct malice.
. Of course it was the last thing Attucks did, he was shot dead of this attempted murderous mayhem. This was brought out quite nicely at the trial by John Adams by his claiming self defense for the soldiers who were "attacked" by Crispus Attucks and his band of rioters. But back to our local historian. When presented with these facts about Crispus Attucks and him being a good role model her response was "Yes it does"
Gee, I wonder if she thinks the black man Damian William's who took a disoriented truck driver, Reginald Denny out of his truck and threw a brick at his face a good role model as witnessed by live TV in LA back in 1992?
http://www.citivu.com/ktla/sc-ch1.html
. Maybe in another two hundred years this riotous brick throwing feller will be claimed a hero for civil rights historians against all facts of what really happened.According to the latest info his lawyer says William's regrets the pain Denny suffered, but believes the riots were justified. Maybe Crispus Attucks would be saying the same thing, after all, had he lived he probably would have ended up in jail like Damian Williams.
In trying to compile information on Crispus Attucks I came across a link from a source actually in favor of Crispus Attucks being the hero some are forcing us to believe. The book African American Soilders-From Crispus Attucks to Colin Powell, By Col. Michael Lee Lanning, a critical historical action on behalf of Crispus Attucks was filled in and it did not make Mr. Attucks look good.
On page two of this book the actions of Captain Preston were again confirmed as a "peacekeeper" during this riot. The Actions of Crispus Attucks are duly noted:
"With at least a half dozen men behind him. Attucks confronted the soldiers by striking the muskets with his stick. When the British Captain stepped forward, Attucks swung his club at the officers head.........."
The book goes on to make a hero of Crispus Attucks when in reality his foolish cowardly actions aimed at Captain Preston who was trying to stop the riot are plain to see. Shades of Reginald Denny keep going through my mind here.
A recent magazine noted for its historical revisionism, The Barnes Review
(barnesreview.org ) Jan/Feb 2000 issue, had an timely article called The History of the Negro in Europe and America, P. 61. Quite interesting was this comment about Crispus Attucks and how more than "one interpretation" of that famous Boston Massacre could come under scrutiny.
The Barnes Review writer Dr. Robert E. Kuttner brings out the place John Adams had as one who was an actual "true patriot for law and order".by his defense of the British soldiers. The writer goes on to mention that Adams was "astute enough to distinguish legitimate protest from mob violence" and that, .. Attucks becomes the first urban terrorist to confuse criminal orgies with civil rights" P.62
It amazes me that race has turned historical facts upside down in this Crispus Attucks case. Winston Churchill once said that a lie will travel half way around the world before the truth can catch up with it. Other quotes in particular one Bible quote states that:
2Th 2:11 - And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
In this situation racial historical connections to a famous revolutionary war event is distorting historical facts and hiding the real truth behind the story of Crispus Attucks.
People should be appalled. Accusations of racism against those with opposing views in typical shoot the messenger fashion have been used to cloud the issue to leave the event without change and not rock the boat to find any skeletons hanging in the closet.
Like the fabled Emperors New Clothes most are going along with the ruse. When in reality my facts of understanding expose the "Emperor" as clothes less.
Maybe history in the future will finally expose this case and bring final closer to the Crispus Attucks lie.
To end this Crispus Attucks affair I will leave you with a movie review that reflects what has happened here. The movie
"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance",
The movie tells the story of Ransom Stoddard (Jimmy Stewart) in flashback. Just outside the town of Shinbone, he is jumped and brutally attacked by outlaw Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) and his gang. When he arrives in Shinbone, the folks at the local chow hall, including the lovely Hallie (Vera Miles), take pity on him, and give him a job and shelter. Ransom vows revenge on Liberty (how about the way those names are twisted around?). But Tom Doniphon (John Wayne), a local cowboy, tells the city slicker he'd better get a gun, because no lawyer is going to bring down Liberty Valance with fancy talk.
Tom Doniphon ends up killing Liberty Valance but Ransom Stoddard gets the credit.
It ends up at the end of the movie that Stoddard returns to Shinbone to attend the funeral of Tom Doniphon and correct the record of who really killed Liberty Valance. But it fell on deaf ears. Why? Because Ransom Stoddards whole career as Governor, Senator and Ambassador-which he owes to his reputation as "the man who shot Liberty Valance" has put Shinbone on the map.
Framingham Massachusetts claim to Revolutionary War fame was put on the map because of Crispus Attucks who's deserving death made him into a supposed war "hero" when in reality he was no more than a thug who, had he lived, might have been doing it behind bars.
I guess you can say as was stated in the Liberty Valance movie:
