Slave Revolts before 1800

Slave revolutions are well-organized uprisings initiated by mostly slaves to fight for their rights and independence. Such revolts are known to occur in almost every society. This paper will examine five revolutions that happened before 1800. They include Santo Domingo, the New York City Conspiracy of 1741, Stono Rebellion 1739, Haitian Revolution and 1733 Slave Insurrection (Stone, 2013).  Santo Domingo occurred in 1521 and involved Africans and Indians who were fighting to gain back their rights and freedoms. The revolution is not only among the first ones, but it also proved a significant time in that Indians and Africans would work together to defeat Spanish over-lords.

The next revolution is known as the Slave Insurrection that happened in 1733. In this revolution, 150 Africans fought the Danish soldiers. The main aim of the African plantation workers was to take over the island. Despite their efforts, the victory was momentary, given that the French soldiers showed up in 1734 and frustrated the revolt (Blassingame, 1979). The Stono Rebellion is known to occur in 1739 and involved twenty slaves led by Jemmy. These slaves attacked the warehouse-like building, killed neighbors and burnt their houses. However, the colonists interrupted them.

The third revolt is the New York City Conspiracy that happened in 1741. Black slaves planned this revolt in collaboration with the poor white settlers.  The two wanted to overtake New York City. When listening to the court case regarding the revolt, the prosecutor seemed unsettled about his accusation ground.  Later, he linked its occurrence to the popish plot linked by Catholics and Spaniards. The last revolution, in this case, is the Haitian revolt that occurred between 1791 to1804. During this period, the Saint-Dominique faced unrest until the slavery abolishment.

Slave revolts before 1800 were planned by Indians, African Americans, and underprivileged white early settlers. In another revolt, Santo Domingo, both Africans and Indians battled for their rights and freedoms. 1733 White Insurrection was also as a result of the African American slaves who battled the Danish troops. In the New York City revolt, the underprivileged white settlers collaborated with the African slaves to take over the New York City.

References

Blassingame, J. W. (1979). The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South. New York: Oxford University Press. Stone, E. W. (2013). America’s First Slave Revolt: Indians and African Slaves in Española, 1500-1534. Ethnohistory, 60(2), 195–217. https://doi-org.ezproxy1.apus.edu/10.1215/00141801-2018927