Although in other things there are great distinctions of rank and birth, virtue is available to everyone.  She thinks no man unworthy if only he thinks himself worthy of her.  Seneca

July 1, 2019
It’s July 4th week and the colors of red, white and blue are in the neighborhoods of Chicago. There are many facts about the American Revolutionary War that we may not know and I wish to share a few of them with you over the next four days.

Many colonists became Patriots because they wanted to get out from the tyranny of British Rule. The Boston Massacre of March 5, 1770 is an example of protesting that ended in a deadly riot. It took place on Kings Street in front of the British Customs House in Boston, MA. Among the many men who died that day on the street, there were six men who were shot at close range. The first to die is believed to be Crispus Attucks, an escaped slave of African and Native American descent. At the time of his death he was known to be both a tanner and a sailor. The historical legends of this Massacre were remembered some 100 years later by the poet John Kyle O’Reilly (1844 – 1890). O’Reilly’s poem became known by his words about Crispus Attucks, “The first to defy and the first to die.” Many of the poets in the 18th Century wrote long poems, as did John Kyle O’Reilly. Here is a link to the entire poem about Crispus Attucks  

https://allpoetry.com/Crispus-Attucks   The last few words of the poem are:

For this, shall his vengeance change to love, and his retribution burn,
Defending the right, the weak and the poor, when each shall have his turn;
For this, shall he set his woeful past afloat on the stream of night;
For this, he forgets as we all forget when darkness turns to light;
For this, he forgives as we all forgive when wrong has changed to right.

And so, must we come to the learning of Boston’s lesson to-day;
The moral that Crispus Attucks taught in the old heroic way;
God made mankind to be one in blood, as one in spirit and thought;
And so great a boon, by a brave man’s death, is never dearly bought!
© by owner. provided at no charge for educational purposes

Choose Who You Want to be Known As this week!  Enjoy.

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive Coach

Notes: (1) The above quotation is found on page 54 of, The Stoic Art of Living, Inner Resilience and Outer Results by Tom Morris (2014) Open Court Publishing Company a division of Carus Publishing Company.

2.   http://www.crispusattucksmuseum.org/crispus-attucks
3,  https://ramericanhistory.wordpress.com/2017/10/31/the-boston-massacre-and-crispus-attucks-the-first-to-defy-the-first-to-die/

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