- 7 weeks ago
🌍 *The 1733 Slave Revolt on St. John's island in the Caribbean* - the first successful slave revolt in Caribbean history** 🌍
Welcome back to another enlightening episode of "Moments In Time," where we explore pivotal moments that have shaped our world. In this captivating instalment, we take you to the stunning Caribbean island of St. John, a true gem of the Virgin Islands, known today for its breathtaking beaches and lush national parks. However, beneath its serene surface lies a powerful and complex history that demands to be told.
In 1733, St. John became the backdrop for a remarkable slave revolt, a courageous uprising led by enslaved Africans who sought to reclaim their freedom from the brutal grip of colonial oppression. This revolt is not only significant for its immediate impact but is also recognized as the first successful slave revolt in Caribbean history. Join us as we delve deep into the events that unfolded during this historic uprising, exploring the motivations, struggles, and ultimate sacrifices made by those who fought for their rights.
Despite the eventual suppression of the revolt with the assistance of French forces from Martinique, the spirit of resistance ignited a flame that would influence future generations. The aftermath of this rebellion saw the emergence of a vibrant community of free men on the island, a testament to the enduring quest for liberty and justice.
In this episode, we will:
Examine the socio-political climate of the Caribbean in the early 18th century.
Highlight key figures involved in the revolt and their contributions to the fight for freedom.
Discuss the long-term effects of the revolt on the island's history and the broader Caribbean context.
Reflect on the legacy of resistance and resilience that continues to inspire movements for justice today.
Join us on this enlightening journey into the past as we uncover the legacy of the 1733 slave revolt on St. John's island and honour the brave souls who dared to dream of freedom.
🔔 *If you enjoy exploring historical mysteries and uncovering the untold stories of the past, make sure to hit the "follow" button on our channel.
Welcome back to another enlightening episode of "Moments In Time," where we explore pivotal moments that have shaped our world. In this captivating instalment, we take you to the stunning Caribbean island of St. John, a true gem of the Virgin Islands, known today for its breathtaking beaches and lush national parks. However, beneath its serene surface lies a powerful and complex history that demands to be told.
In 1733, St. John became the backdrop for a remarkable slave revolt, a courageous uprising led by enslaved Africans who sought to reclaim their freedom from the brutal grip of colonial oppression. This revolt is not only significant for its immediate impact but is also recognized as the first successful slave revolt in Caribbean history. Join us as we delve deep into the events that unfolded during this historic uprising, exploring the motivations, struggles, and ultimate sacrifices made by those who fought for their rights.
Despite the eventual suppression of the revolt with the assistance of French forces from Martinique, the spirit of resistance ignited a flame that would influence future generations. The aftermath of this rebellion saw the emergence of a vibrant community of free men on the island, a testament to the enduring quest for liberty and justice.
In this episode, we will:
Examine the socio-political climate of the Caribbean in the early 18th century.
Highlight key figures involved in the revolt and their contributions to the fight for freedom.
Discuss the long-term effects of the revolt on the island's history and the broader Caribbean context.
Reflect on the legacy of resistance and resilience that continues to inspire movements for justice today.
Join us on this enlightening journey into the past as we uncover the legacy of the 1733 slave revolt on St. John's island and honour the brave souls who dared to dream of freedom.
🔔 *If you enjoy exploring historical mysteries and uncovering the untold stories of the past, make sure to hit the "follow" button on our channel.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00An island in the Caribbean, a coded rhythm is a call to arms.
00:11The tables are about to turn on slavery, winner take all.
00:16The revolution in St. John comes before two of the greatest revolutions in the world,
00:22the American Revolution and the French Revolution.
00:26In a single night, decades of suffering are avenged.
00:31We wanted freedom. We were going to get it, one way or the other.
00:37The rebel's strategy hinges on a weakness festering within the enemy stronghold.
00:43If there was one moment in the history of St. John, it was that moment in that fort mistake.
00:55In one coordinated attack, African slaves get a foothold on freedom in the New World.
01:02These men and women lit a spark that caught fire throughout this Caribbean.
01:12But the motives of their leaders are anything but straightforward.
01:21Whoever was not with them were to be enslaved under them.
01:26Emerging from the ashes of a slave revolt is a new view of human bondage
01:31and its stranglehold on humanity in the 18th century.
01:34In a world consumed by slavery, no one is free and few are innocent.
01:41The island of St. John sparkles in the Caribbean sun like a jewel set in blue crystal.
02:06Seven miles long and three miles wide, it's part of the Virgin Island chain,
02:13a necklace of eight main islands and 75 islands.
02:17A U.S. territory since 1917, three-fifths of the island is a national park.
02:25St. John's idyllic coves are havens for the well-heeled and world-weary.
02:29But underneath the plush towels and designer beach bags, this is a paradise for the past.
02:41Flashback to 1733.
02:44St. John is rocked by a slave revolt.
02:46Leading the rebels are members of African royalty, sold into slavery as well.
03:03Among them, two chieftains.
03:06Danish records identify them only as King June and Prince Akashi.
03:10Their campaign is so effective, armed forces from three colonial powers are called in for support.
03:18St. John had become the first black state in the Americas.
03:25It was indeed the first black revolution to occur in America.
03:31Today, the embers of rebellion still smolder and glow in the folkways of the island.
03:36Like many natives of St. John, Professor Gilbert Sproul first heard of the revolt from island storytellers.
03:45The story they told was that at a particular time of the year,
03:51the water would turn red, which came from the blood of the slaves.
03:57The saga of St. John's slave revolt lives in a no-man's land, somewhere between legend and fact.
04:09It's in the folklore, it's in the oral history, it's in the tradition of the island.
04:13But the question is, how does it show up on the land state?
04:16At a site called Cinnamon Bay, a solid link to a complex struggle has been found.
04:25Assisted by local volunteers, archaeologists Douglas Armstrong, Mark Hauser, and Ken Wilde
04:31uncover the remains of a possible 1733 slave residence.
04:36A time warp back to a rumble that shook the Caribbean.
04:40A mystery, specific to the Cinnamon Bay site, has put the team on overtime.
04:53Traces of carbon indicate the building that once stood here may have been the target of arsonists.
05:00But who were they?
05:01This is where the historian that works in the documentation now needs to interact and work with the archaeologists
05:10who can actually look into the ground and confirm the written record.
05:17And when we can mingle those two, we've got it now.
05:22This site is no accidental discovery.
05:25Archaeologists were guided here by an excavation of another sort.
05:28Historian David Knight dug through recently compiled collections of 18th century Danish tax records.
05:36Merging the records to the lay of the land, David helped expose a site literally vanished beneath the sands of time.
05:44I realized that you could actually take documentation from the archives and bring these sites and people to life.
05:52From sites like these, Knight hopes to piece together a conflict that has fascinated him since childhood.
06:00The story of the 1733 uprising on St. John has all the elements of great fiction, but indeed it is history.
06:09It's really a very exciting time to be a historian.
06:13Danish archives give clues to the European perspective.
06:19The worldview of their slaves can be read on the ruins of a plantation called Annaberg.
06:25What these Africans scratched out on this dungeon wall speaks volumes.
06:30We can feel the need of an imprisoned slave looking out the window at the planter's grand home,
06:42watching the trade going on in the harbor, and needing to tell us a story.
06:48And in creating these images, he has left a legacy that is both poignant and significantly empowering.
06:55The drawings depict plantation manors and a harbor filled with colonial ships,
07:02a world order the rebels hoped to overthrow in 1733.
07:18But how did the rebels coordinate their attacks?
07:22What were the goals of its leaders?
07:23And out of St. John's slave population, how many actually took up arms?
07:29The countdown to revolution began with a growth industry, a global craving that consumes the island.
07:36In 1733, sugarcane is the number one cash crop in the Caribbean.
07:43Why, you ask?
07:45Well, for one thing, sugarcane is the main ingredient of molasses, a whole new taste experience for Europeans.
07:51Sugarcane is also fermented to produce rum.
07:56Liquid sunshine from the Caribbean takes the continent by storm,
07:59and the Danish are more than happy to supply the demand.
08:02The Danish go into cane production big time.
08:07At the top of the food chain is Governor Gardaland, a penny pincher and former accountant for the Danish West Indies Company.
08:15Next on the pecking order are well-heeled plantation owners, like Gardaland's son-in-law, Johannes Sattman.
08:24Further downstream, your average Danish settler, average being a relative term.
08:30Some are banished here for bad debts.
08:33Others are little more than retired thugs and killers.
08:36Many of them probably have passed, have been pirates in the past, and maybe have run afoul of the law in other places.
08:45Their new gig is to turn a paradise into a production line.
08:53Sugarcane plantations are carved out of the wilderness by a captive workforce.
08:57Motivation at the work site is provided by men known as bambas, head slaves with an attitude.
09:05They work for men like Sattman, masters with hearts as hard and brittle as sugarcubes, according to this 18th century account.
09:14Insensible to the sufferings of slaves, they think and dream of nothing but sugar.
09:20Sugar to which, in consequence, every spot of land is condemned.
09:24To keep production moving smoothly, St. John's planters gather at a marketplace on the nearby island of St. Thomas.
09:34Under a sweltering sun, they come here to buy flesh and blood.
09:44An eyewitness describes the dehumanizing process of slave inspection.
09:49They look in their mouths to see if they have all their teeth and to see if their tongue is red and healthy.
09:54They then examine their legs, ties, and arms to make sure they are not swollen.
10:04After inspecting the goods, the bidding begins.
10:08On the high end, the price of a grown male can fetch the equivalent of $2,000 today.
10:15Boys, half the price.
10:20Planters can even bid on the unborn infants in a mother's womb.
10:23The fear and humiliation suffered by the slaves is followed by incredible pain.
10:33Professor Sandra Green from Cornell University studies the business end of slavery at historic Fort Frederick on the island of St. Croix.
10:40This is the kind of branding iron that was used widely during the era of the slave trade.
10:46It indicates who was purchasing the slaves so that when they were actually sold in the West Indies,
10:53they would know where the money would go to, whether it would be to a company or whether to a specific individual.
11:00White hot branding irons are pressed into thighs or shoulders.
11:03It's nothing personal, just business as usual.
11:10Slavery existed all over the world.
11:12It was well known.
11:13It was never seriously questioned until much more recently.
11:17It was simply part of the fabric of life.
11:19In 1733, the slave market receives royal visitors from across the sea.
11:28Their names, King Jun and Prince Akashi, leaders of an African tribe known as the Akwamu.
11:36Before the year is out, they will help lead the slave revolt.
11:41But until they arrived here in chains, tearing down the establishment was the last thing on their minds.
11:49That's because the Akwamu were the establishment, at least on the African side of the Atlantic.
11:58The lower Gold Coast, a key supply hub for slavers and the home turf of the Akwamu tribe.
12:06Trade in human beings will drain Africa of roughly 20 million men, women and children over the span of 200 years.
12:14Called black gold, slaves are the world's most valuable economic resource.
12:22African chieftains are not blind to the profits that Europe is raking in from their shores.
12:27Soon the Akwamu nation muscles its way into the business.
12:31By 1710, they represent a corner of an infamous global triad.
12:35The slave trade that connected Africa, the Americas and Europe is generally known as the triangular trade.
12:43Starting from Africa, you have a variety of commodities like cloth, metalware, firearms, ammunition being traded for human beings.
12:53Akwamu leaders like King Jun and Prince Akashi grab a big piece of the action.
12:58Warriors, as well as businessmen, they conquer and pillage the neighboring kingdoms.
13:05Trading humans for guns is a popular form of exchange, but not the only one.
13:12The Danish also buy slaves with cash.
13:15And where do they get the money?
13:17Well, they make it from selling their Caribbean rum in Europe.
13:20In other words, and here's the sick twist, the slaves working the sugarcane fields of St. John are indirectly creating the cash base to enslave their own people in Africa.
13:33A popular Akwamu proverb is sikane ohene, money is king.
13:39The Akwamu turned the proverb into a battle cry.
13:42If communities did not pay their taxes as demanded by the Akwamu state, they would be subject to military invasion and conquest.
13:52People would be captured.
13:54Many of the men would be executed, but some would also be sold into the slave trade.
14:00But King Jun and Prince Akashi are about to suffer a major role reversal.
14:06Defeated by a rival tribe, the Akwamu will be sold as slaves to the Danish.
14:10Soon, King Jun and Prince Akashi will follow their victims on a voyage through hell.
14:23Historians call it the Middle Passage, a serene phrase for a deadly crossing.
14:28More to the point is this contemporary account.
14:32Were the Atlantic Ocean dried up today, one could trace the pathway between the slave coast of Africa and America.
14:40By a scattered roadway of human bones.
14:50Death haunts the slaves from the moment they are bound together for shipping.
14:54These are the kinds of shackles that were used in Africa.
14:57This ring was placed around the neck and locked.
15:00It is heavy.
15:02It's abrasive.
15:03It can cut the skin.
15:04The chain would make sure that one could not break away from the other.
15:11Over the span of 200 years, 20 million Africans crammed the holds of slave ships.
15:19Life on the slave ship must have been hell.
15:22Hot.
15:23Humid.
15:24People were sick.
15:26People were sick.
15:27They have dysentery.
15:29Ship-borne diseases claim 10 million dead.
15:33You have schools of sharks that regularly followed these slave ships because they knew that, in fact,
15:39they would get these bodies thrown overboard on a fairly regular basis.
15:43After months at sea, the survivors are auctioned off like pack animals on St. John's neighboring island, St. Thomas.
15:59Among them now, the Akwamu leaders, King Jun and Prince Akashi.
16:04After years as slave producers, they now stand before Danish consumers as products on the shelf.
16:13But it won't take long for the Akwamu to realize that slaves hold the majority on the Virgin Islands.
16:19Africans outnumber the Europeans five to one.
16:24St. John was in desperate need of labor.
16:28By 1733, most of the Danish properties on the island were still in the process of converting their land to agriculture.
16:39There was no colonial plantation infrastructure established here.
16:44And it's during that period that, of course, the most backbreaking labor had to be performed by the slaves.
16:50On the other hand, being outnumbered by people you work to death can keep you up at night.
17:01A slave owner from St. Thomas put it this way.
17:06If one has a slave, how much more of a slave is he than the one he purchased?
17:10One has to sleep always with the fear that domestic enemies will slit one's throat at night to end our days.
17:17In May of 1733, Prince Akashi and King Jun are sold into hard labor on the adjacent island of St. John.
17:29Freshwater here is scarce, rainfall infrequent.
17:32And to save money, plantation owners force the slaves to grow their own food or starve.
17:38They're also clearing virgin forest for agriculture.
17:43They're cutting off the trees.
17:44They're removing the big stones from the land.
17:47And it was a real effort just to stay alive.
17:52A sympathetic eyewitness wrote this account of life under the wind.
17:58One can only have deep pity for the miserable victim of a cruel owner.
18:03And there are many such owners.
18:05I saw one poor slave tied to a pole and whipped until it seems that his flesh was coming apart.
18:12When slaves are not clearing land, they're harvesting sugar cane and processing the juice for molasses and rum.
18:22David Knight visits a site where physical exhaustion and physical risk were literally rolled into one.
18:33What we have here are the cane crushing rollers that extracted the juice.
18:40The rollers are pulling the cane in.
18:42And, of course, in the early period, many arms were lost when a laborer would be feeding the cane into the machine and his arm would be drawn into it.
18:54For that purpose, an axe was always kept next to the cane crushing machinery so that the arm could be cut off before the individual was completely sucked into the machinery and killed.
19:04When the slaves are not squeezing juice from sugar cane, they're enduring 13-hour days, cutting more cane down in the fields.
19:16To make their situation worse, if that's possible, King Jun and Prince Akwashi suffer through two hurricanes, a locust plague, and a drought in their first summer.
19:26By the fall of 1733, the slaves are literally starving.
19:30Some will choose suicide over death from starvation and physical punishment.
19:37But others, including the Aquamoo, endure the worst the planters can dish out.
19:45At the other end of the whip are men blinded by racism, unable to recognize the intelligence of those they enslaved.
19:53The Aquamoo leaders begin to plan a coordinated campaign of revolution.
20:00Meanwhile, others take more immediate action.
20:03Their only weapon, a lethal knowledge of nature.
20:10The slaves recognize on St. John many of the same plants and herbs that grow in Africa.
20:16They should be scanning and looking for medicinal plant remains from Africa.
20:23As Chen Wild and Doug Armstrong find traces of local herbs in the ruins of Cinnamon Bay.
20:32The evidence supports historical accounts that colonists have begun to rely upon African herbal cures to survive the tropics.
20:40But according to Danish records, being at one with nature could prove hazardous to your health.
20:49Get on the wrong side of your cook, and you might want to think twice about diving into that turtle soup.
20:54By 1733, poisoning is a leading cause of death on St. John.
21:04For the victims, it's hard to see it coming.
21:09The effects of poisons made from the island's plants create symptoms that resemble those of tropical diseases that run rampant in the Caribbean.
21:16The secret and insidious manner in which the crime is generally perpetrated make legal proof of it extremely difficult.
21:31Suspicions have been frequent, but their detections are rare.
21:35While some Africans get even through stealth, others take their chances in the wilderness.
21:46Field slaves give the plantations the slip and escape into St. John's steep jungle hills.
21:53By the fall of 1733, something almost unimaginable takes place.
21:59Free from colonial restrictions, an African community thrives in the backwoods of St. John.
22:07Outnumbered 5 to 1, the planters are surrounded by a renegade society.
22:13They feel that these individuals are plotting against them,
22:18and that other laborers that are still on the estates are going up and meeting with these runaways at night to help plan something.
22:29The colonists feel overwhelmed.
22:34So now what?
22:36You're outnumbered on an isolated island, surrounded by people who hate your guts.
22:41You could try negotiating, but no, the Danes just don't get the picture.
22:48Governor Gardelin puts a brutal new slave code into effect to scare the Africans into submission.
22:53Nineteen cold-blooded paragraphs give plantation owners free reign to inflict inhuman punishments on their field hands and servants.
23:06A slave who attempts to poison his master shall be pinched three times with bread-hot pinches and then broken on a wheel.
23:14Any slave, knowing of the intention of others to run away, shall be burned on the forehead and receive one hundred lashes.
23:22Each runaway slave shall lose one leg, or if the owner pardons him, shall lose one ear and receive one hundred and fifty lashes.
23:32A slave who lifts a hand to strike a white person, or threatens him with violence, shall be hanged.
23:41Should the white person demand it, if pardoned, he shall lose his right hand.
23:46While Gardelin and the planter society at large clearly saw this code of laws as a deterrent,
23:59history proved that it had exactly the opposite effect.
24:06Defiant slaves ignore Gardelin's threats.
24:10Many risk torture or death and flee to camps in the jungle.
24:13By the fall of 1733, the island falls into a state of anarchy.
24:22There was clearly a lot of tension.
24:24Everyone was aware that something was going to happen.
24:27They just didn't know when.
24:32Along with other aqua moves, King Jun and Prince Akashi seized the day.
24:39Armed with makeshift weapons and a handful of stolen guns,
24:43they plan their revolution.
24:46Incredibly, in the new social order they envision,
24:50slavery will have its place.
24:54The concept of slavery is so ingrained in the 18th century mindset,
24:59the practice of owning human beings is accepted by both master and slave.
25:04It was a well-known, unquestioned institution.
25:08It was all over the continent.
25:10North Africa, West Africa, East Africa.
25:13You had slavery in the Saudi Arabian Peninsula,
25:15slavery in Europe as well.
25:17It was simply part of the fabric of life.
25:20People became enslaved.
25:23They had a certain life.
25:24People tried to gain their freedom.
25:25People got their freedom.
25:27Other people were enslaved.
25:28It was simply part of the way in which society operated.
25:34The African leaders of St. John's uprising opt to maintain the status quo.
25:40Slavery will continue.
25:42Only the masters will change.
25:44The plan and what occurred was that the leaders of the family intended to take over the island
25:55and run it for themselves.
26:00And whoever was not with them were to be enslaved under them.
26:04King Jun and Prince Akashi now escape themselves,
26:10move from camp to camp, organizing a revolt.
26:14To concentrate their power, they deal only with their own people, the Aqua Moon.
26:21Their goal?
26:22To rebuild their kingdom.
26:24Not in Africa, but on the fringe of the New World.
26:27But how will they coordinate the revolt?
26:36How can they get word both to the slaves still on the plantations
26:39as well as to those in remote jungle camps?
26:43The answer is a code and a broadcast device as old as the hills of Africa.
26:57Embedded like a blueprint in the minds of St. John's African slaves
27:03is the ancient art of drum making
27:06and using specific rhythms to send the latest news.
27:10Eddie Bruce is a master drummer
27:12and a leading expert on traditional African drumming.
27:15Talking drums are drums that are used to communicate messages over distances,
27:20small and great.
27:22They can be used to demonstrate or call people
27:25with different types of social functions
27:27like weddings, funerals, baby birth, naming ceremonies, war.
27:33It's very likely that drum language was used
27:35as a way to organize their supply lines,
27:38how to scout out their enemies,
27:41how to overcome them.
27:49That's a basic call to arms, very basic.
27:55As the drums spread the word,
27:57King June and Prince Akashi finalize their strategy.
28:01Their game plan is ambitious.
28:04After conquering St. John,
28:06they'll take the neighboring islands of Tortola
28:08and St. Thomas as well.
28:11All that stands in the rebel's way
28:13is St. John's poor excuse for a military post
28:16manned by down-and-out Danish grunts.
28:19Many of the lads are exiled here
28:23for bad behavior or worse.
28:25Former governor Eric Bredal put it this way.
28:29They are indeed so wretched
28:31they cannot be trusted.
28:32No longer at their posts.
28:34They get so drunk
28:36that they fall off the walls
28:37where they stand on duty.
28:39Some falling to their death.
28:40In fact,
28:44Danish party animals were so out of it
28:46they didn't bother to hide the evidence.
28:49Right here we find the base
28:52of an early 18th century
28:54utilitarian liquor bottle
28:55known as an onion bottle.
28:57And then perhaps most common
28:59amongst all the material remains up here
29:01would be pipe stems.
29:04Pipe smoking would have been something
29:06that all the soldiers did
29:07as part of their pastime.
29:08keep them awake at night
29:10up on the parapet
29:11while they stood watch.
29:13As the military self-medicates
29:15the rebels plan to take them
29:17out of their misery.
29:23The morning of November 23rd
29:26Prince Akashi and King Jun
29:28select two targets.
29:30The first is plantation owner
29:32Johannes Satton.
29:33Some believe the slaves knew
29:40he was close to the governor
29:41and savagely attacked
29:42in revenge for Gardaland's
29:44brutal slave code.
29:45As the whip changes hands,
29:54the brutality of the master
30:09now becomes that of the slave.
30:11Meanwhile, a few miles away,
30:15a group of slaves arrive at the fort
30:17with a routine delivery of firewood.
30:21Hidden in the bundles
30:22are razor sharp knives.
30:26Archaeologists find several of these tools
30:28at the Cinnamon Bay site.
30:30This is a cane knife found
30:32just off the shore in Cinnamon Bay.
30:34A cane knife like this, of course,
30:35was used for cutting cane.
30:36It was used by almost every slave
30:39on the island.
30:40So it was in everybody's possession.
30:43Now the cane knife
30:45serves a new and sinister purpose.
30:48Satton, a close associate
30:50of the governor, is murdered.
30:57At the nearby fort,
30:59rebel insurgents overcome the guards.
31:01The Akwamu's overrun the Danish troops.
31:22Guns and ammunition are looted
31:23from a supply room.
31:24If there was one moment
31:28of individual nationalism
31:29that ever occurred
31:30in the history of St. John,
31:32it was that moment
31:33when that fort was taken.
31:42Only one Dane
31:43escapes the fort alive.
31:45As he runs for his life,
31:47the rebels ascend
31:48to the parapets above.
31:50Here, King June uses
31:52a Danish cannon
31:53to send a mixed signal.
31:58Oh, that's a blank.
32:00So why fire the big gun?
32:01Well, two reasons.
32:02First, it's a prearranged signal
32:04to other rebel groups
32:05that the revolt is a go.
32:08Now, secondly,
32:08the rebels know
32:09that Danish use a cannon blast
32:10to summon the planters
32:11to the fort in emergencies.
32:13But this time,
32:14when the planters show up,
32:15they walk straight
32:16into a rebel ambush.
32:17With arms captured
32:23from the fort,
32:24the aqua moves
32:24split into two units.
32:27The first group
32:28will hold the fort
32:29and the surrounding
32:30plantations at Coral Bay.
32:32A second unit
32:34will travel along
32:34the North Shore
32:35to attack the remaining
32:36settlements there.
32:37What they're doing
32:43is they're making
32:44flanking maneuvers
32:45on either side
32:46in hopes to converge
32:47at the center
32:48to entrap people.
32:51There's clear evidence
32:52of a knowledge
32:53of systematic warfare.
32:57African women
32:59help swell the ranks.
33:04Experts suspect
33:05at least one female rebel
33:07is motivated
33:08by ties of blood
33:09and love.
33:10Her name is Breffu.
33:14On the afternoon
33:15of the revolt,
33:17she joins a raiding party
33:18headed here
33:19to Brown Bay.
33:24Brown Bay was the site
33:26of the two neighboring
33:27plantations owned
33:28by Peter Kroyer
33:29and Pierre Castan.
33:31It was here
33:32that as the uprising
33:34spread from Coral Bay
33:35into the countryside
33:36that the planters
33:37at Brown Bay
33:38were amongst the first
33:39to feel the brunt
33:39of the rebels' resolve.
33:45The plantation
33:46is the scene
33:47of a bloodbath.
33:50Killed is a colonist
33:51named Kroyer,
33:52his wife and children.
33:56Some historians
33:57write the incident off
33:58as random violence,
33:59but David Knight
34:00sees another
34:01possible scenario.
34:02intriguingly,
34:03the documentary record
34:06may give us a clue
34:08as to why
34:09the Kroyer family
34:09were singled out
34:10and murdered
34:11here on this spot.
34:13They were not able
34:14to afford
34:15full-grown,
34:17healthy adult slaves,
34:19so they had
34:19purchased two children.
34:21While the deaths
34:25are brutal,
34:25the motive
34:26is universal.
34:29It's quite possible
34:30that as the rebellion
34:32spread to this area,
34:34the Kroyers
34:35were singled out
34:36in an effort
34:36to save those children.
34:40The Kroyer murders
34:41rattle Governor Gardelin.
34:43He's also surprised
34:44to learn that Breffu
34:45is not a man,
34:47but a woman.
34:47Gardelin orders
34:50St. John's Militia
34:51to track down
34:51the raiders,
34:52but he's too late.
34:55By sunset
34:56on November 23rd,
34:57the rebels
34:58gain control
34:58of St. John's
34:59East End.
35:03Over two centuries
35:04later,
35:05a breakthrough
35:06of another sort
35:07is won by archaeologists
35:08at Cinnamon Bay.
35:11Artifacts from the site
35:12indicate the ruins
35:13were indeed
35:14a shelter for slaves.
35:15Cowery shells
35:17like this
35:18were part of
35:19currency
35:23in West Africa.
35:24They were used
35:25in clothing
35:25and fasteners
35:26and adornment.
35:28Finding a piece
35:29like this
35:29on this site
35:30gives a suggestion
35:31of people bringing items
35:33from Africa
35:34into the Caribbean
35:35into a site
35:36of slave house.
35:39Along with the artifacts,
35:41another discovery
35:42allows the team
35:43to fix the date
35:44of the ruins,
35:45firmly in the timeline
35:46of Caribbean history.
35:49Armstrong and company
35:51discover a layer
35:52of ash
35:52covering a floor
35:53of mortar,
35:55evidence that the structure
35:56burned to the ground.
35:58I think we're ready
35:59for the samples.
36:01Let's go straight
36:02to the bag.
36:03Samples will be sent off
36:04for carbon dating
36:05in hopes of confirming
36:07the slave house
36:07was destroyed
36:08during the revolt.
36:09In fact,
36:12the ash reveals
36:13a burn layer
36:13dated directly
36:15from the year 1733.
36:20The pattern
36:21of charred evidence
36:22indicates the compound
36:24was deliberately burned.
36:26But who had
36:27the motivation?
36:31Now,
36:31according to Danish records,
36:33some houses
36:34are torched
36:34by the colonists
36:35to keep their property
36:36and goods
36:37from falling
36:37into rebel hands.
36:38But at Cinnamon Bay,
36:40the team has second thoughts
36:41about this
36:42burn-it-yourself scenario.
36:47This time,
36:48the evidence
36:49doesn't come
36:49from the ground.
36:51It comes instead
36:52from the hands
36:52of the Danes themselves.
36:55Sorting through
36:56collections
36:57of Danish records,
36:58David Knight
36:59finds a plausible scenario.
37:02According to
37:03an 18th century report,
37:05the Cinnamon Bay compound
37:06was attacked
37:07and torched
37:07by the rebels
37:08not the colonists.
37:10But why would the rebels
37:12destroy a house
37:13that they themselves
37:13could occupy?
37:16The answer
37:16reveals a new shade
37:18to what once seemed
37:19a black against white
37:20revolution.
37:27Not all the slaves
37:29are buying into
37:29the rebel program,
37:31including the crew
37:32at Cinnamon Bay.
37:33As St. John's slave revolt
37:36intensifies,
37:37some colonists
37:38are warned
37:39of rebel attacks
37:40by their own slaves.
37:42They're coming!
37:45There very well
37:46may have been
37:47many slaves
37:49on St. John
37:50who were enslaved
37:52themselves
37:52by the Aquamu.
37:54And that in itself
37:55may have
37:55prevented them
37:57from wanting
37:58to support the Aquamu
37:59in this rebellion.
38:00Some colonists
38:02escape to a deserted
38:03island,
38:04assisted by their field hands.
38:08Many slaves
38:09actually stay behind
38:10to defend the plantation.
38:12Their motive?
38:13Most likely
38:13a combination of loyalty
38:15and practical self-interest.
38:16They did have
38:19an investment.
38:20They did have
38:21a stake.
38:21They did have
38:22some kind of sense
38:23that this was
38:25their land,
38:26their house.
38:27In fact,
38:28even perhaps
38:28personal relationships
38:29with the managers
38:30and owners.
38:33In fact,
38:34ongoing research
38:35reveals that
38:36St. John's slave revolt
38:37was waged
38:38by a relatively
38:39small group
38:40of determined
38:40individuals.
38:43Of the 1,200
38:44enslaved laborers
38:46that were on
38:46St. John,
38:48we only have
38:49implicated
38:50around 120,
38:52140 individuals.
38:54We're talking
38:54about 10%
38:55of the slave population
38:57on the island
38:57at the time.
39:00Loyal slaves
39:01must ultimately
39:01run for their lives
39:03as rebel attacks
39:04intensify.
39:05At the time
39:06of the rebellion,
39:07this group of people
39:08chose not
39:09to join the rebellion.
39:11They resisted
39:12the rebellion
39:12and ultimately
39:13their house was burned.
39:16after looting
39:17the house of food,
39:19the rebels
39:19burn it to the ground,
39:21a scene repeated
39:22across the island
39:23according to this account.
39:25This resistance
39:26is a major setback
39:27for the rebels.
39:28They have no choice
39:29but to fight
39:30the other slaves
39:30and cripple them
39:31by setting their
39:32plantations aflame.
39:35Africans against Europeans,
39:38slaves against rebels,
39:39and soon
39:40another iron.
39:43News of the revolt
39:44finally reaches
39:45the governor's office
39:46on the nearby island
39:47of St. Thomas.
39:48The lone survivor
39:54of St. John's garrison
39:55reports the fort
39:57has been wiped out.
39:58With only a handful
40:04of Danish troops
40:05to spare,
40:06Gardelin beefs up
40:08their ranks
40:08with a group
40:09of specialists.
40:10For them,
40:12the color of your skin
40:13comes in a poor second
40:14to the color
40:15of your money.
40:17They served
40:19as a first line
40:21of defense
40:22for the government.
40:23And then they were
40:24rewarded with property,
40:26confiscated plantations,
40:28called the Free Negro Corps.
40:31They consist
40:31of freed slaves.
40:34Soon,
40:35they sailed
40:36for St. John,
40:37their mission
40:38to hunt down
40:39the African rebels.
40:45On St. John,
40:47the Aquamu rebels
40:48massed their forces
40:49for their biggest assault
40:50on the planters yet.
40:52We can see
40:53that the colonists
40:55feel powerless
40:57powerless
40:57to control
40:58the situation.
41:00And at the same time,
41:02with the spark
41:03of the revolt,
41:04is empowering
41:04to the Africans.
41:08The colonists
41:10and their families
41:10off the island.
41:12The remaining men
41:12hole up at a plantation
41:14owned by Peter Durloo.
41:15There was a whole night
41:19of very tense waiting,
41:21not knowing really
41:23what had transpired
41:24in the night,
41:25how many more rebels
41:27had joined,
41:28and what the attack
41:29would be like.
41:30What we're looking at
41:31is a battlefield
41:32in this position
41:34at this point.
41:37At 3 p.m.,
41:39the rebels strike.
41:40the eastern
41:44of theitos
41:45of the
42:08A series of skirmishes takes place.
42:20Each time the rebels find themselves outgunned.
42:25The Aquamoo leaders may have underestimated the firepower of the enemy.
42:31By the time a retreat is called, the rebels have spent nearly all of their ammunition.
42:36They withdraw to their jungle strongholds to regroup.
42:42The Durlu plantation site represents the only true battlefield in this whole confrontation.
42:49By this point in the revolt, the uprising had really become a military struggle between two warring nations.
42:59An African nation and a European nation being fought on foreign side.
43:06The rebels rely on a guerrilla war to keep the planters on the defensive.
43:11During the winter months, the Africans remain in control.
43:15Something very new in a brave new world.
43:18St. John had become the first black state in the Americas.
43:26It was indeed the first black revolution to occur in America.
43:30When the planters on St. John threatened to throw in the sponge, Danish governor Gardalena is desperate.
43:39On March 21st, he begs the French government of Martinique for a bailout.
43:44I feel that we are on the verge of something terrible happening.
43:49Unless you have the kindness to honor me with your assistance.
43:52You cannot allow slaves to triumph over our weaknesses and to render us victims to their rebellion.
43:57April 1734, the French commander Longville lands on St. John with a contingent of the Free Negro Corps.
44:10Known for his harsh and effective command, their captain is Mingo Tamarin.
44:15Today, the name Mingo is used as to somebody who betrays you.
44:29For weeks, Africans hunt Africans as the Free Negro Corps wears down the rebels.
44:35In a grim irony, the Africans are taken down by their own.
44:51May 4th, 1734.
44:54One of the last rebel groups at large faces capture.
44:59With their last remaining muskets, they choose a time-honored passage to their homeland.
45:05In a ritual of death, it was not done out of desperation or out of depression.
45:11It was done out of dedication to these principles and in the certain knowledge
45:17that their life would not have been in vain and that their spirits would rest in the homeland.
45:28The rebels shoot themselves.
45:30Among the fallen, the slave woman Breffe and King June.
45:38The bodies are discovered by French commander Longville,
45:41who continues his manhunt with a vengeance.
45:43Before he leaves the island in late spring, the slaves he captures alive are burned at the stake, impaled, or cut into pieces.
45:56But Prince Akashi and a few remaining rebels evade capture.
46:02Under a promise of amnesty from the governor, they surrender in August.
46:08Taken to the Adrian plantation, they are double-crossed.
46:11At the gate at Adrian, we are told, was maybe the greatest act of treachery in terms of the warfare that took place in all of this.
46:27Prince Akashi is decapitated.
46:31His comrades will be taken to the town square and burned alive.
46:38The gruesome spectacle marks the end of the ten-month upheaval on St. John.
46:45Slavery is not abolished in the Danish West Indies until a century later.
46:54For David Knight, the rebels' story is far from over.
46:59A new chapter begins with a chance discovery of an abandoned plantation site, undisturbed since 1733.
47:05We have determined that this site was burned in the slave rebellion.
47:11Got it.
47:13Ken Wild maps the ruins for the National Park Service as a potential dig site in the future.
47:20The discovery of a molasses skimming device is a tip-off that the team has found a lost sugarcane plantation.
47:27That's your homemade tool.
47:29Yeah.
47:31As the archaeologists unearth St. John's past,
47:34Islanders celebrate the birth of the rebellion with an annual trek to the original fort.
47:40We give reverence to the dawn of the day, the sunrise.
47:44We give reverence to the sunset and reverence to the Mother Earth.
47:48Rather than considering the events of 1733 just history,
47:52the Islanders are coming to see the slave revolt as an expression of the human spirit that continues to have relevance today.
47:58These men and women lit a spark not just for themselves.
48:15They lit a spark that caught fire throughout this Caribbean.
48:20You couldn't get freedom out of their minds.
48:24They wanted to be free.
48:28The legacy left by this moment in time grows stronger as legends become real people and truth is liberated from focus.
48:36What we see is a group who have completely overthrown a system.
48:46This was not a social cause.
48:49This was not a protest.
48:51This was a revolution.
48:52Even though it lasted only six months, the slave revolt of 1733 has earned its place in the history of the Caribbean.
49:04African slaves armed only with intelligence and courage created the first black state in the Americas and left behind a source of strength for the Islanders of St. John.
49:16For us, they are freedom fighters because their spirit still continues to fight for freedom in our time.
49:25For freedom in our time.
49:55For freedom in our time.
49:56For freedom in our time.
49:57For freedom in our time.
49:58For freedom in our time.
49:59For freedom in our time.
50:00For freedom in our time.
50:01For freedom in our time.
50:02For freedom in our time.
50:03For freedom in our time.
50:04For freedom in our time.
50:05For freedom in our time.
50:06For freedom in our time.
50:07For freedom in our time.
50:08For freedom in our time.
50:09For freedom in our time.
50:10For freedom in our time.
50:11For freedom in our time.
50:12For freedom in our time.
50:13For freedom in our time.
50:14For freedom in our time.
50:15For freedom in our time.
50:16For freedom in our time.
50:17For freedom in our time.
50:18For freedom in our time.
50:19For freedom in our time.
50:20For freedom in our time.
50:21For freedom in our time.
Recommended
49:55
|
Up next
49:58
49:55
24:06
39:11
9:14
1:04:05
46:38
6:05
49:36
49:20
51:40
45:42
47:01
1:34:11
1:07:02
1:28:31
Be the first to comment