Slavery in Jamaica

1492-1834 (38)

ObjectivesTo outline the history of slavery in Jamaica through a chronology of

historical dates and events while connecting this to broader Atlantic History.

 Assess Jamaica's pivotal place in the Atlantic Slave Trade & History, through exploring the sugar estates I will argue that Jamaica was not only financially important but also represents a microcosm of how slavery would persist and implemented across the British Empire. 

Evaluate resistance and rebellions between 1655-1838 (65) Notable mentions Black Flag Piracy, 1st and 2nd Maroon Wars, and Sam Sharpe's Rebellion. 

Out Of Many, One People. Map of Jamaica in 1893

Least you should know about Jamaica’s history and slavery

Xaymaca – Land of Wood and Water Early inhabitants of the island were the Arawakan speaking peoples

or Tainos. Their more aggressive counterparts were called the Caribs.1494- “Christopher Come-Buck-Us” or rather Christopher Columbus’

accidental “discovery” of the island. He had set out to prove he could sail an alternative route to India than what his Portuguese counterparts had established. He ended up sailing west of India (West Indies) and landed in an area on the island called Discovery. He became aware of several other islands during his other visits and also what would later become the United State of America.

1509 – First Spanish settlers – Sevilla la Nueva (New Seville)1513 – African Slaves brought to Jamaica from the Iberian Peninsula by

Portuguese and Spanish1534-1538 – Spanish Town founded and subsequently named the

capital city. It is the oldest most continuously occupied city in the Atlantic World. The early Spanish settlers moved south from the northern swamps and mosquito infested area of New Seville. Villa de la Vega (Town of the Plain

1650-1760 – Expansion of the British Empire1651 – Navigational Acts 1655 – The Western Design. English invasion of the Spanish Caribbean

justified by the Black Legend. Attack on Hispaniola failed, attentions then turned to Jamaica

1655 – Admiral William Penn and General Robert Venables successfully attacked and captured the poorly defended Jamaica from the Spanish

1673-1739 – Rapid rise of sugar estates and plantations from 57-430. Move from small farms that produced tobacco, indigo, and cocoa to large estates with slave labor force to produce sugar.

1692- Earthquake devastated Port Royal1731 – 1st Maroon War. Treaty signed between 1739-40 (Cudjoe,

Nanny of the Maroons – National Heroine)1760 – Tacky’s Rebellion, the largest rebellion in the British

Empire in the 18th Century.1795-96 – 2nd Maroon War lasted 8 months. The Trelawney Town

Maroons were subsequently deported to Nova Scotia, Canada, then to Sierra Leone

1808 – Abolition Bill passed

1831-2 – Christmas Rebellion led by Samuel Sharpe. (National Hero)

1834 – Emancipation Act & Apprenticeship1838 – Full freedom and total abolition of slavery on

the Island. 1865 – Morant Bay Rebellion led by Paul Bogle

(National Hero)1872 – Capital moved from Spanish town to Kingston

Other Atlantic Rebellion & Uprisings

It is important to note that as the British Empire expanded so did the ideas of abolitionism and resistance. Venner’s rebellion (1661), Bacon’s rebellion (1676), New York City rebellion (1741), Black Flag Piracy (1713-1726), Boston Massacre (1770) and Tacky’s Revolt (1760) all draw our attention to the dialectical relationship between the expansion of slavery as an Atlantic institution and resistance to it.

Jamaica’s First Enslaved People

Once Jamaica was under Spanish possession in 1494, the Tainos, who had inhabited the island for centuries, were quickly subjugated and forced into slavery, becoming the first enslaved people on the island. Encomienda System

Genocide in Jamaica

The first census conducted by the Spanish in 1611 recorded 558 enslaved Africans and 107 free Africans. However, only 74 Arawak natives remained. The more than 60,000 people living on the island before Columbus arrived 117 years earlier had been wiped out by the violence, brutality, disease, and forced labor unleashed by the Spanish invaders.

Jamaica’s importance in the Atlantic Slave Trade and History

Jamaica holds a pivotal place in the Atlantic Slave Trade and Atlantic History not only from an economic and financial perspective, but, it also represents a microcosm of how slavery would persist and implemented across the British Empire.

“Technologies of slavery” invented during the period such as the Virginia Slave Code (1705) was patterned and modernized based on the complete slave code passed in Jamaica in 1696 with slaves laws being passed as early as 1661

By 1700 Jamaica was awash with sugar plantations and Jamaica's population was comprised of 7,000 English to 40,000 slaves. The sugar industry grew quickly in Jamaica -- in 1672 there were 70 plantations producing 772 tons of sugar per annum -- growing in the 1770s to over 680 plantations. By 1800, it was 21,000 English to 300,000 slaves, which increased to some 500,000 slaves by the 18th century. In 1820 there were 5,349 properties in Jamaica of which 1,189 contained over 100 slaves.

Jamaica was once considered the 'jewel' in Britain's crown. In 1805, the island's peak of sugar production, it produced 101,600 tons of sugar. It was the world's leading individual sugar producer contributing to what amounts to 42% of Britain’s GDP. The cultivation of sugar was intricately intertwined with the system of slavery.

Each plantation fueled the wheels of British mercantilism. Sugar, molasses, and rum were exported to England for sale and ships were financed to return to Africa and collect more slaves in exchange for trinkets and transport them to the West Indies as a labor source. This became known as The Triangular Trade. Money was not left in England's colonies, the financing came from Mother England, and to Mother England the profits returned. 

Sugar Estates Each estate was its own small world, complete with an entire

labor force of field workers and skilled artisans, a hospital, water supply, cattle, mules and horses as well as its own fuel source.

A typical sugar estate was 900 acres. This included a Great House where the owner or overseer and the domestic slaves lived, and nearby accommodation for the bookkeeper, distiller, mason, carpenter, blacksmith, cooper and wheelwright.

The field slaves' quarters were usually about a half mile away, closer to the industrial sugar mill, distillery and the boiling and curing houses, as well as the blacksmiths' and carpenters' sheds and thrash houses. Some estates, if large enough, had accommodation for an estate doctor.

The workforce on each plantation was divided into gangs determined by age and fitness. On average most estates had three main field gangs. The first was comprised of the strongest and most able men and women.

The second was comprised of those no longer able to serve in the first, and the third, of older slaves and older children. Some estates had four gangs, depending on the number of children living on the estate. Children started working as young as 3 or 4 years old

Rebellion & Resistance

Many of the enslaved Africans did not settle for the horrid conditions of slavery in Jamaica. There were a number of acts of resistance that were used to fight against it, including noncooperation, insubordination, sabotage, poisoning of animals and owners, infanticide, self-mutilation, suicide, running away and armed rebellion.

More rebellions occurred in Jamaica, Britain’s largest colony, than in all its other colonies in the Caribbean combined. One of the most famous of the Jamaican rebellions started in 1760 and was led by a man known as Tacky. It was called Tacky’s War/Rebellion, and it lasted for over a year before being suppressed by the British colonial forces. It was the largest slave rebellion in the 18th century British Empire. Led by the Coromantee (Coromantins) Africans who came from the Gold Coast.

As a matter of fact, there had been over 16 slave rebellions on the island of Jamaica between 1655 and 1813 and also major uprising in 1816 as well as 1823. Up 2500 enslaved were escaping from plantations yearly. 1831 was the largest uprising. It started out as a peaceful protest for wages but quickly escalated which resulted in over 200 plantations being attacked and burned by some 20,000 enslaved. The rebellion was led by one Samuel Sharpe (National Hero) and it lasted for 10 days. Over 750 ‘rebels’ were captured and convicted for the deaths of 14 plantation owners while another 138 was put to death. This came as a shock to the British government who feared other revolts and as such this laid the foundation for full abolition.

Jamaican Maroons

When the English captured Jamaica in 1655, many of the former slaves and free blacks fought with the Spanish who gave them their freedom and then fled to the mountains resisting the British for many years to maintain their freedom, becoming known as Maroons – Cimarrón

There are two distinct groups of Maroons inhabiting the island the Windward Maroons were those located in the East of the island, while the Leeward Maroons were those occupying the Western part of the island.

The Leeward Maroons included locations such as Trelawney Town in St. James and Accompong in St. Elizabeth. Among the Windward settlements are Moore and Charles Town in Portland, Nanny Town in St. Thomas and Scotts Hall in St. Mary. Even with these groupings, the Maroons were organized into different bands. Such organization facilitated their mobilization.

Two of their reputed leaders were Nanny and Cudjoe. The maroons are recognized as one of Jamaica’s cultural intangible heritage as they encompass the Natural, Indigenous and Historic or Cultural inheritance.

Abolition of Slavery in JamaicaThe fear of more uprisings

as well as other factors led to the abolition slavery in Jamaica on Aug. 1, 1834. At that time, the British attempted to make all enslaved Blacks remain working for the same masters as apprentices. The system was a failure, and that also was abolished. Enslaved Blacks received their unrestricted freedom on Aug. 1, 1838.