SH Archive Single photo: 1887 Boston Massacre Monument, Boston, Massachusetts

[KD Archive]

The Boston Massacre / Crispus Attucks monument honors the victims of the Boston Massacre. It stands at 25 feet high and 10 feet wide. On top stands a figure representing the Spirit of the Revolution inspired by Eugene Delacroix’s painting of Liberty Leading the People, a symbol of the French Revolution. She holds a broken chain in her right hand to symbolize freedom from the oppressors and in her left hand she holds the American flag. With her right foot she crushes the crown of the British monarchy and next to her other foot an eagle prepares to fly.

In 1887 the Massachusetts General Court decided to erect a memorial to those who died on the night of the Boston Massacre. Many city officials were opposed to the project arguing about its appropriateness, historical distortion and political opportunism. Some members of the Massachusetts Historical Society were strongly opposed to its erection remembering the event as John Adams described it in court. Despite of their objections the monument was supported by prominent citizens including black and white abolitionists and was erected in 1888. It was fully paid for by public funds.

• Boston Massacre - 1770
• Monument erected - 1887

1904 photograph

• Saw this Lady in this thread, but she was covered there.

Boston Massacre / Crispus Attucks Monument
Boston Massacre - Wikipedia

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KD: What does this monument has to do with the actual Boston Massacre besides this relief (copy of this print?), which was probably added in 1887?

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[BStankman]

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Username: BStankman
Date: 2018-11-27 09:25:23
Reaction Score: 2

Just want to point out who Crispus Attucks was.

"Question: Did you see a mulatto among the persons who surrounded the soldiers? Answer: I did not observe... Question: Did they seem to be sailors or townsmen? Answer: They were dressed some of them in the habits of sailors. Question: Did you know the Indian who was killed? Answer: No. Question: Did you see any of them press on the soldiers with a cordwood stick? Answer: No."

It is widely acknowledged that Attucks had considerable Native American heritage.

Potter's American Monthly

 

[trismegistus]

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Username: trismegistus
Date: 2018-11-27 17:59:17
Reaction Score: 7

There's that Phrygian cap again..

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Where is the evidence that she is holding an American flag? Could be anything on that flag, so I'm not buying that.

To the left of the crown, there is an inscription that reads By Bonnard Bronze Co, New York. Can anyone make out the year at the end? It honestly looks like 1798 to me or possibly 1888? Really difficult to tell, someone would need to take a followup photo of the area with greater detail, I wasn't able to find another photo from this angle.

It looks like the cement obelisk and the bronze plate on the base was added at a later date, but the statue itself is older than the aforementioned 1887 date.

 

[anotherlayer]

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Username: anotherlayer
Date: 2018-11-27 18:34:37
Reaction Score: 5

To the left of the crown, there is an inscription that reads By Bonnard Bronze Co, New York. Can anyone make out the year at the end?.

Looks like 1883.