Black History Month

Crispus Attucks is believed to have been born around 1723 from records I see and was born into slavery. At the age of about 27 Crispus escaped slavery and became a man of the sea which was one of the few trades of that day open to non-whites. He worked on whaling ships and when not sailing was a rope maker.

Crispus was killed during the Boston Massacre and has the distinction of being credited as the first casualty of the American Revolution. The soldiers that were part of the fray that resulted is Crispus' death were aquitted of murder. They were defended by future president John Adams. No other lawyer in Boston would take the case and according to Adam's writings, it was the right thing to do.

For more information on Crispus Attucks go to: https://www.nps.gov/people/crispus-attucks.htm

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James Armistead Lafayette was born into slavery in 1748. Lafayette is credited especially by the Marquis de Lafayette as being instrumental in the defeat of General Cornwallis at Yorktown. James became a spy for the Americans by going to the British and offering to serve them claiming to be an escaped slave seeking their protection. He served them well enough that he had access to top officials with Cornwallis and was able to get important information back to the Marquis de Lafayette who passed the information on to General Washington. The Americans through Armistead learned that Cornwallis planned to meet reinforcements at Yorktown and Washington moved the American troops to Yorktown and the French fleet to block the British. Armistead's information helped to set up the victory at Yorktown that led to the end of the revolution with the United States of America earning it's independence.

After the war, Armistead when back to the service of his master but was emancipated, with the help of his master and Lafayette in 1787. Following his emancipation, Armistead took the last name of his friend and mentor, Lafayette. James Armistead Lafayette remained in the area where he was raised in Virginia and bought land adjacent to that of his former owner. It is said that the two were good neighbors. In his later years, he was awarded a military pension because of his contributions to the American revolution.

For more information on James Armistead Lafayette go to the Encyclopedia Virginia at: https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/lafayette-james-ca-1748-1830/