Analysis Of Boston Massacre By Countee Cullen

Memories are something that every person has, whether it is joyful memories, sad memories, frustrating memories; we all have them. Memories are vital for the stability in our lives. Without memories, we would have no idea of the history of our planet prior to technology. Even the bad memories have their purpose in life. The short, but impactful poem written by Countee Cullen in 1925 â Incident,â perfectly reflects the necessity of capturing memory. Not all memories are exclusively for the person who lived them, but many can be used to guide future generations. Likewise, in a much different period, William L. Champney captures a dark time in our nationâ s history with his portrait called

â Boston Massacre.â The painting illustrates what will

Crispus Attucks lived that life. â Born into slavery, Crispus Attucks was

believed to be the son of Prince Yonger, a slave shipped to America from Africa, and Nancy Attucks, a Natick Indian ("The Bloody Massacre").â It is astounding

to know that in a time when an African-American could be killed for running away from slavery, that a future escaped slave would become a symbol for African-American and United States history. Champney set himself apart from other illustrators of the March 5th Boston Massacre with the inclusion of Attucks. And

not only was Attucks present in Champneyâ s 1855 â Boston Massacre,â he is

spotlighted in a grim scene of his own murder.

Therefore, it is plausible to believe William Champney used this illustration as propaganda. During the 1850â s the tensions between pro-slavery

citizens and pro-abolitionists was reaching its peak. This decade is associated with lack of leadership in the United States, and building frustrations amongst the North and South in regards to the spread of slavery. â By the 1850s

Cullen uses a somber memory to

draw inspiration in his poetry, while Champneyâ s illustration was a

perspective from the outside. Champney would never know or experience the hatred and judgement bestowed upon African-Americans throughout American history. Cullen would end up being a mesmerizing figure during the Harlem Renaissance. â Writer Countee Cullen was an iconic figure of the Harlem Renaissance, known

for his poetry, fiction and plays ("Countee Cullen").â In contrast Champney

used a memory from United States history and amplified the meaning of this art piece with Attucks as the rallying point ("The Bloody Massacre"). William Champney knew the unification of whites and blacks would be the rallying call and an appeal to African-Americans was necessary for propaganda purposes. Although a multitude of variations of propaganda from all political views were continuously using a symbolism in regards to their cause, Champney reached in to the grim depths of this nationâ s history with his incorporation of

Crispus Attucks. By doing this, Champney mimicked the American hero Paul Revere. â Paul Revere created his most famous engraving titled the â Bloody