March 5
Crispus Attucks Killed in Boston Massacre
On March 5, 1770, Crispus Attucks was among five colonists killed by British soldiers in what became known as the Boston Massacre. Though details of his life remain sparse, Attucks has been commemorated as a patriot and symbol of the struggle against tyranny. A monument honoring him stands on Boston Common.
Blanche Bruce Elected to Senate
On March 5, 1875, Blanche K. Bruce of Mississippi took his seat in the U.S. Senate. Born into slavery, he became the first African American to serve a full six-year Senate term and the only formerly enslaved person to serve in the Senate during Reconstruction.
Phyllis Wheatley Meets George Washington
On March 5, 1776, Phillis Wheatley visited George Washington, who had invited her to his headquarters after she sent him a poem praising him. Washington praised her talent and published her poem, a remarkable moment of recognition for an enslaved African poet during the American Revolution.