First Martyr of Liberty: Crispus Attucks in American Memory
| AUTHOR | Kachun, Mitch |
| PUBLISHER | Oxford University Press, USA (07/19/2017) |
| PRODUCT TYPE | Hardcover (Hardcover) |
Description
First Martyr of Liberty explores how Crispus Attucks's death in the 1770 Boston Massacre led to his achieving mythic significance in African Americans' struggle to incorporate their experiences and heroes into the mainstream of the American historical narrative. While the other victims of the Massacre have been largely ignored, Attucks is widely celebrated as the first to die in the cause of freedom during the era of the American Revolution. He became a symbolic embodiment of black patriotism and citizenship. This book traces Attucks's career through both history and myth to understand how his public memory has been constructed through commemorations and monuments; institutions and organizations bearing his name; juvenile biographies; works of poetry, drama, and visual arts; popular and academic histories; and school textbooks. There will likely never be a definitive biography of Crispus Attucks since so little evidence exists about the man's actual life. While what can and cannot be known about Attucks is addressed here, the focus is on how he has been remembered--variously as either a hero or a villain--and why at times he has been forgotten by different groups and individuals from the eighteenth century to the present day.
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Product Format
Product Details
ISBN-13:
9780199731619
ISBN-10:
0199731616
Binding:
Hardback or Cased Book (Sewn)
Content Language:
English
More Product Details
Page Count:
328
Carton Quantity:
22
Product Dimensions:
6.30 x 1.20 x 9.30 inches
Weight:
1.25 pound(s)
Feature Codes:
Bibliography,
Index,
Price on Product,
Illustrated
Country of Origin:
US
Subject Information
BISAC Categories
History | United States - Colonial Period (1600-1775)
History | General
History | African American & Black
Dewey Decimal:
B
Library of Congress Control Number:
2017003265
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
publisher marketing
First Martyr of Liberty explores how Crispus Attucks's death in the 1770 Boston Massacre led to his achieving mythic significance in African Americans' struggle to incorporate their experiences and heroes into the mainstream of the American historical narrative. While the other victims of the Massacre have been largely ignored, Attucks is widely celebrated as the first to die in the cause of freedom during the era of the American Revolution. He became a symbolic embodiment of black patriotism and citizenship. This book traces Attucks's career through both history and myth to understand how his public memory has been constructed through commemorations and monuments; institutions and organizations bearing his name; juvenile biographies; works of poetry, drama, and visual arts; popular and academic histories; and school textbooks. There will likely never be a definitive biography of Crispus Attucks since so little evidence exists about the man's actual life. While what can and cannot be known about Attucks is addressed here, the focus is on how he has been remembered--variously as either a hero or a villain--and why at times he has been forgotten by different groups and individuals from the eighteenth century to the present day.
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Author:
Kachun, Mitch
Kachun is assistant professor of history at Western Michigan University.
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List Price $43.99
Your Price
$43.55