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The Morant Bay Rebellion in Jamaica

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The Morant Bay Rebellion in Jamaica timeline The Morant Bay Rebellion in Jamaica Questions A visual exploration of the background to, and events of, this key rebellion by former • What were the causes of the Morant Bay Rebellion? slaves against a colonial authority • How was the rebellion suppressed? • Was it a riot or a rebellion? • What were the consequences of the Morant Bay Rebellion? Attack on the courthouse during the rebellion The initial attack Response from the Jamaican authorities Background to the rebellion Key figures On 11 October 1865, several hundred black people The response of the Jamaican authorities was swift and brutal. Making Like many Jamaicans, both Bogle and Gordon were deeply disappointed about Paul Bogle marched into the town of Morant Bay, the capital of use of the army, Jamaican forces and the Maroons (formerly a community developments since the end of slavery. Although free, Jamaicans were bitter about ■ Leader of the rebellion the mainly sugar-growing parish of St Thomas in the of runaway slaves who were now an irregular but effective army of the the continued political, social and economic domination of the whites. There were ■ A native Baptist preacher East, Jamaica. They pillaged the police station of its colony), the government forcefully put down the rebellion. In the process, also specific problems facing the people: the low wages on the plantations, the ■ Organised the secret meetings weapons and then confronted the volunteer militia nearly 500 people were killed and hundreds of others seriously wounded. lack of access to land for the freed people and the lack of justice in the courts. ■ Election agent of Gordon which had been called up to protect the meeting Faced with an unyielding government and ruling class, Bogle and his allies saw of the vestry, the political body which administered Response from the British authorities no solution to their grievances. They were supported by an African-oriented religion, George William Gordon the parish. The nature of the suppression led to demands in England for an official they believed they had allies in Britain, and the atmosphere in Jamaica was rife with ■ Of mixed race Fighting broke out between the militia and the inquiry, and a royal commission subsequently took evidence in Jamaica arguments about white oppression of the blacks. Fearful that they might even be ■ A representative of St Thomas in the East crowd. By the end of the day, the crowd had killed on the disturbances for nearly three months. re-enslaved, the people marched into Morant Bay. in the Jamaican House of Assembly 18 people and wounded 31 others. Seven members Its conclusions were critical of the governor, Edward John Eyre, and ■ A political and religious radical and an of the crowd died. of the severe repression in the wake of the rebellion. As a result, the After the rebellion opponent of the governor In the days which followed the outbreak, bands governor was dismissed. More importantly, the political constitution of In the wake of the rebellion, George William Gordon was transferred from civil of people in different parts of the parish killed two the colony was transformed and its 200-year-old House of Assembly jurisdiction in Kingston to face a court martial in Morant Bay. Despite little evidence Edward John Eyre planters and threatened the lives of many others. The abolished. of his involvement in the rebellion, the court martial found Gordon guilty of treason. ■ British-born, white governor of Jamaica disturbances spread across the parish of St Thomas He was hanged, although not before Governor Eyre approved of the sentence. ■ Former Australian explorer in the East. Planning the rebellion Following the rebellion, the 200-year-old House of Assembly voted to change ■ Former governor in New Zealand and The rebellion was characterised by planning and organisation. At the constitution: it agreed to its own abolition and to the establishment of several Caribbean island colonies organised secret meetings, oaths were taken and volunteers enlisted in Crown Colony government. This meant direct rule from London and the end of expectation of a violent confrontation at Morant Bay. representative government in the island until well into the twentieth century. 1650 1660 1670 1680 1690 1700 1710 1720 1730 1740 1750 1760 1770 1780 1790 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1655 1655–1808 c.1720 –39 1760 1795–96 1807 1831 1834 1838 1865 British conquer Jamaica c.1 million Africans First Maroon War Tacky’s Revolt results Second Maroon War Passage of the Baptist War involving Slavery abolished Apprenticeship Morant Bay Rebellion from the Spanish transplanted to Jamaica between British forces in the deaths of 60 legislation to abolish c.20,000 rebel slaves; and replaced by abolished as slaves and escaped slaves whites and 500 slaves the British slave trade 14 whites and 500 Apprenticeship slaves killed Gad Heuman is professor emeritus in the department of history at the University of Warwick. He is the author of The Killing Time: The Morant Bay Rebellion in Jamaica. 16 Modern History Review November 2014 17.
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