The Bloody Struggle for Freedom in Guyana and the Caribbean

The bloody struggle for freedom in Guyana and the Caribbean: ON the occasion of the 173 rd anniversary of Emancipation of African Slaves in British Colonies, we reflect upon the bloody struggle for freedom which occurred in Guyana and the Caribbean territories.

There were several leading freedom fighters throughout the region who challenged the brutal regimes of the planters and sought freedom from the most horrendous and barbaric system of human exploitation. Some of the more outstanding leaders were:

(1) Cudjoe, who led the Maroons of Jamaica from 1729 to 1739;  (2) Tackey, the leader of an uprising in Antigua in 1735 to 1736;  (3) Tacky, who led an uprising in Jamaica which lasted from Easter 1760 to October 1761; (4) Cuffy (Kofi) who vowed not to be a slave again, with Akara, Atta, Accabre, Cossala, Goussari and others, who took control of a large section of the Dutch colony of Berbice, for 10 months in 1763;

(5) Toussaint L'Ouverture, Dessalines and others in St Domingue, the leaders of the largest and most successful of all the uprisings. In the period 1791-1803, an army of ex-slaves, inspired by French revolutionary principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, defeated the Spanish, British and French armies, in turn.

The British army suffered the loss of 80,000 men in their disastrous invasion of St Domingue. They withdrew in 1798. An independent state was declared on 1st January 1804 and it was given the Amerindian name of Haiti.

(6) Julien Fedon, the leader of an uprising in Grenada in 1795, which lasted 16 months; (7)  Bussa, one of the leaders of a large uprising of 13,000 slaves in Barbados in 1816; (7) Quamina, his son Jack Gladstone and others, who led an uprising of at least 12,000 slaves in Demerara in August 1823, in their demand for 'unconditional emancipation'.

The slaves reversed the roles, became 'masters' for a short period and confined their 'slaves', the humiliated managers and overseers, in the stocks.

It is noted that Plaisance has been chosen as the village for celebration in honour of Victoria, the first village purchased by emancipated slaves. A number of Africans in Plaisance participated in the 1823 uprising and Attila, of Plaisance, was said to have played a significant role.

(8) Sam Sharpe, the leader of an uprising in Jamaica in 1831-1832, in which more than 20,000 slaves were involved, and which resulted in damage and loss valued at an enormous amount of more than £1 million.

Charges against Governor Murray concerning the 'cabal' in Demerara-Essequibo. In a letter published in Guyana Chronicle dated 6th July 2006, captioned "The original 'Guianese Mafia', reference was made to members of the plantocracy who laid down and enforced the draconian slave law which promoted racism, torture and inhuman or degrading treatment of the Africans.

Colonial records contain many references to a sinister Mafiaesque group which operated in Demerara in the 19th century. They often wrote anonymous threatening letters in the press signed 'The Rough and Plain Planters' and similar titles.

Mr Sergeant William Rough, the President of the Court of Criminal and Civil Justice of Demerara from 1816-1821, referred to the members of the group of planters as a 'cabal', in a petition containing charges which he laid against Governor Murray. He accused the Governor of allowing this 'cabal' to indulge in corruption, oppression and extortion.

Abolition of Slavery and Apprenticeship

It is clear from the debates in the British Parliament in 1833, when the Slavery Abolition Bill was being considered, that the Jamaica and Demerara uprisings greatly shocked and troubled the British nation. Abolitionists such as William Wilberforce, Thomas Clarkson, Thomas Fowell Buxton and others had been adopting a 'softly, softly' approach of gradual abolition, after the slave trade from Africa to the Guianas and Trinidad was abolished by an Order in Council in 1805 and further abolished throughout the British Colonies on the 1st May 1807 by the Slave Trade Act 1807.

The British Government had issued several Orders in Council and Instructions to colonial legislatures to implement legislation for the amelioration of the conditions of slaves as part of the gradual process towards abolition. The legislatures blatantly refused to implement some of the policies, especially those placing restrictions on the punishment of slaves.

Mr Secretary Stanley expressed his concern that the colonies 'disdainfully refused to obey the suggestions and determinations of Parliament and the mother-country' (Ministerial Proposition for the Emancipation of Slaves, House of Commons, May 14, 1833, Hansard, p. 1199). The uprisings of the freedom fighters forced the issue before Parliament and resulted in the Slavery Abolition Act 1833.

The legislation was a compromise with the powerful West India planters, whereby the slaves would be declared to be 'free' from slavery on 1st August 1834, on condition that from that day they would be kept in the bondage of apprenticeship for 4 years if domestic, or 6 years if they worked in the field. They were not free.

They were forced to labour for their former masters for up to 45 hours a week without pay, though they could expect pay for work in excess of those hours. The British Government's intention was that the former slaves would be gradually transformed into wage labourers and would remain on the plantations. The system did not, however, apply to some islands such as Antigua and Bermuda, which freed their slaves on 1st August 1834.

There was widespread resistance to the system of apprenticeship. Strikes occurred throughout the colonies. Some labourers argued that they were already skilled, and resented being called 'apprentices'. Others argued that they were still being treated like slaves, and demanded 'full freedom' or 'unrestricted liberty'. Damon was a notable leader of about 700 labourers who went on strike and demonstrated against the apprenticeship system in Essequibo in August 1834.

Freedom in Guyana

'Full freedom' was eventually achieved when the apprenticeship system was prematurely terminated by the British Government, and apprentices were declared free on 1st August 1838. In Guyana and some of the Caribbean colonies, however, indenture, another form of bondage, was relied on to supply African, Portuguese, East Indian, Chinese and other immigrants to labour on the plantations.