Some would contend that the abolition of slavery and the liberation of the wider British Empire, was brought to a natural conclusion due to parliamentary processes and reform, or to the alleged decline in significance for the British economy. For many scholars, this contention is largely a misconception which disregards the fundamental revolutionary processes at play. Indeed, when considering the history of the British West Indies in the context of its revolutionary struggles, there is more than meets the eye!
Reflecting on Jamaica’s past, the emancipation of slaves, and the subsequent fight for independence was won on the ground following a succession of strategic revolutionary processes, rather than a single uprising. The Morant Bay Rebellion (1865), in particular, was a key moment among others in post-slavery Jamaican history which not only exposes the ingenuity and tenacity of black Jamaicans, but the ironic reality of oppression and suffering that ensued following the abolition of slavery in the British West Indies in 1838.
Despite being freed from slavery, living conditions, political representation and economic prospects for the black population continued to leave them at a clear disadvantage. Black Jamaicans found themselves in severe poverty, which was compounded by the severe economic downturn in Jamaica following the decline of the sugar industry post abolition. Furthermore, those who wanted to branch out on their own were starkly disenfranchised by the Jamaican colonial laws that punished Jamaican’s for the most minuscule of infractions and instituted unaffordable taxes, all designed to frustrate the former slaves and force them to return to the sugar plantations.
Several months ahead of the notorious rebellion, Jamaican workers from Saint Ann parish had respectfully articulated their grievances to Queen Victoria in April 1865. Much to their dismay, Governor Eyre, who intercepted the petition, persuaded the monarch to deny their request. Angered by the continued subjugation of the poor, and triggered by the trial of a black man who was arrested for trespassing on an abandoned plantation, Paul Bogle, with the support of George William Gordon, decided to take action. In early October 1865, Bogle led a group of men and women to the courthouse in Morant Bay, where they met with soldiers who opened fire. In the aftermath that followed, both Paul Bogle and George William Gordon, as well as many hundreds of others, were caught and executed in the subsequent fighting and reprisals.
The use of martial law to permit these deaths quickly led to one of the most severe acts of brutal force against unrest in the history of the British West Indies. Governor Eyre had not only ordered extensive and harsh reprisals against the Black Jamaicans in the county of Surrey, but he had also directed brutal force against communities and individuals, much of whom were innocent men and women. Ultimately, the violent suppression and brutality generated widespread controversy in England and, as a result, Governor Eyre was ousted for his unconstitutional actions in response to the rebellion.
Outcomes aside, the revolutionary uprisings which took place in Jamaica were an unequivocal part of a revolutionary process, arguably putting Jamaica on the road to independence, which finally came in 1962. They were, in effect, undermining the very fabric that comprised Jamaican society to legitimise the freedom of former slaves and their descendants – not just under the view of the colonial state, but via their own conceptualisations.
What is clear from this brief history of Jamaica’s revolutionary processes is that the Morant Bay Uprisings was not merely one of the myriad of slave revolts in Jamaica. It is symbolic of the culmination of strategic socio-political ruptures in the Anglophone Caribbean more generally, and Jamaica specifically. While these ruptures did not automatically translate into a socio-political transformation identical to the classical theories of revolution we know of today, it was through such struggles that the people of Jamaica were able to catalyse emancipatory legislation and legitimise their freedoms.
Written by Malaika Laing-Grant
Path to Revolution: The History of Rebellion in Jamaica
Some would contend that the abolition of slavery and the liberation of the wider British Empire, was brought to a natural conclusion due to parliamentary processes and reform, or to the alleged decline in significance for the British economy. For many scholars, this contention is largely a misconception which disregards the fundamental revolutionary processes at play. Indeed, when considering the history of the British West Indies in the context of its revolutionary struggles, there is more than meets the eye!
Reflecting on Jamaica’s past, the emancipation of slaves, and the subsequent fight for independence was won on the ground following a succession of strategic revolutionary processes, rather than a single uprising. The Morant Bay Rebellion (1865), in particular, was a key moment among others in post-slavery Jamaican history which not only exposes the ingenuity and tenacity of black Jamaicans, but the ironic reality of oppression and suffering that ensued following the abolition of slavery in the British West Indies in 1838.
Despite being freed from slavery, living conditions, political representation and economic prospects for the black population continued to leave them at a clear disadvantage. Black Jamaicans found themselves in severe poverty, which was compounded by the severe economic downturn in Jamaica following the decline of the sugar industry post abolition. Furthermore, those who wanted to branch out on their own were starkly disenfranchised by the Jamaican colonial laws that punished Jamaican’s for the most minuscule of infractions and instituted unaffordable taxes, all designed to frustrate the former slaves and force them to return to the sugar plantations.
Several months ahead of the notorious rebellion, Jamaican workers from Saint Ann parish had respectfully articulated their grievances to Queen Victoria in April 1865. Much to their dismay, Governor Eyre, who intercepted the petition, persuaded the monarch to deny their request. Angered by the continued subjugation of the poor, and triggered by the trial of a black man who was arrested for trespassing on an abandoned plantation, Paul Bogle, with the support of George William Gordon, decided to take action. In early October 1865, Bogle led a group of men and women to the courthouse in Morant Bay, where they met with soldiers who opened fire. In the aftermath that followed, both Paul Bogle and George William Gordon, as well as many hundreds of others, were caught and executed in the subsequent fighting and reprisals.
The use of martial law to permit these deaths quickly led to one of the most severe acts of brutal force against unrest in the history of the British West Indies. Governor Eyre had not only ordered extensive and harsh reprisals against the Black Jamaicans in the county of Surrey, but he had also directed brutal force against communities and individuals, much of whom were innocent men and women. Ultimately, the violent suppression and brutality generated widespread controversy in England and, as a result, Governor Eyre was ousted for his unconstitutional actions in response to the rebellion.
Outcomes aside, the revolutionary uprisings which took place in Jamaica were an unequivocal part of a revolutionary process, arguably putting Jamaica on the road to independence, which finally came in 1962. They were, in effect, undermining the very fabric that comprised Jamaican society to legitimise the freedom of former slaves and their descendants – not just under the view of the colonial state, but via their own conceptualisations.
What is clear from this brief history of Jamaica’s revolutionary processes is that the Morant Bay Uprisings was not merely one of the myriad of slave revolts in Jamaica. It is symbolic of the culmination of strategic socio-political ruptures in the Anglophone Caribbean more generally, and Jamaica specifically. While these ruptures did not automatically translate into a socio-political transformation identical to the classical theories of revolution we know of today, it was through such struggles that the people of Jamaica were able to catalyse emancipatory legislation and legitimise their freedoms.
Written by Malaika Laing-Grant
BLAM’s Volunteer Blog editor
Malaika is a professional with over five years’ practical experience in the international development space, providing comprehensive programmatic support to drive programme success in areas such as youth and politics, social and economic development, education and capacity building. She is a strong believer in the power of the Black community, Malaika is also committed to education as a form of Black empowerment to dismantle cycles of oppression and systems of social injustice.
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