Major revolts by enslaved Africans
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to: a) Identify the key personalities in the Berbice (1763), Barbados (1816), Demerara (1823) and Jamaica (1831) revolts. b) Explain TWO causes for the revolts identified in ‘a’ above. c) Describe the nature and consequences of the revolts named in ‘a’ above.
BERBICE, 1763 CAUSES
The Berbice Revolt was as a result of the mistreatment of the enslaved population, primarily the harsh punishments and meagre allocation of provisions. The enslaved population had meagre rations and whenever there were shortages, they would be adversely affected.
NATURE AND CONSEQUENCES
The revolt began on Plantation Magdalenburg on the Conje River on February 23, 1763. By March 1763, the revolt had spread to the Berbice River. The enslaved peoples were able to capture several plantations along the river, and Coffy played an instrumental role in this area. Though Coffy committed suicide, the enslaved peoples were still committed to the cause of freedom. The colony was controlled by blacks for 10 months, showing the active thrust by enslaved peoples to end the system of chattel slavery.
BARBADOS, 1816 CAUSES
The revolt began as the enslaved population believed that emancipation was being withheld by the local establishment. In actuality, they had misinterpreted information that they had heard on the Slave Registration Bill with emancipation. The activities of the nonconformist missionaries among the enslaved population was also another cause of the Barbados Revolt.
NATURE AND CONSEQUENCES
Bussa and Jackey started the Barbados Revolt in April 1816. The revolt would then quickly spread to areas such as St Philip, St John and St George. Within days, martial law was declared and Bussa killed. Almost 200 enslaved Africans were killed, 200 executed, and another 100 enslaved peoples exiled to Sierra Leone. The colony would suffer economically as, with the damage or total destruction of sugar estates, the sugar industry was impacted.
DEMERARA, 1823 CAUSES
The underlying cause of the revolt was that the enslaved peoples believed that their ‘free paper’ was being withheld by the island’s governor.
NATURE AND CONSEQUENCES
Enslaved Africans refused to return to work until verification of claims of a ‘free paper’. In the ensuing violence, more than 100 slaves were killed; several others were executed after holding court martials.
JAMAICA, 1831 CAUSES
The underlying cause of the rebellion was the widespread belief that freedom was being withheld by the local authorities. The activities of nonconformist missionaries among the enslaved population was also a factor.
NATURE AND CONSEQUENCES
Sam Sharpe’s civil disobedience quickly evolved from a general strike on the Kensington estate (St James) into an open revolt. It would quickly spread to several parishes, such as Trelawny, Hanover, Westmoreland and St Elizabeth. The 1831 Rebellion is symbolic as it was the largest and most widespread of rebellions in the British Caribbean, and it was the last major revolt in British Caribbean before emancipation. It resulted in over 100 enslaved persons being executed, including Sharpe, and 100 flogged. Several Baptist and Moravian missionaries were persecuted as well as their churches/chapels destroyed.
SOURCES
1. Liberties Lost: Caribbean Indigenous Societies and Slave Systems – Hilary Beckles & Verene Shepherd
2. Caribbean Story, Bk 1 – William Claypole & John Robottom
3. Caribbean Revision History for CXC – Peter Ashdown & Francis Humphreys