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The Emancipation Wars

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The Emancipation Wars
Overview
Above all of the acts of resistance towards slavery, non – violent and violent, there were three rebellions in the British West Indies that stood out. Those three were the Bussa Rebellion in
Barbados, Easter 1816, the Demerara Revolt in Guyana, August 1823, and the Sam Sharpe
Rebellion in Jamaica which took place in December 1831. The order in which the three rebellions occurred was similar; it was influential as well as extensive. Among all three rebellions there was one common factor. It was a time in which ameliorative proposals (gradual improvement in the slave’s way of life) were being made in Britain. This gave way to widespread rumours that there were measures taking place in metropolitan Britain to grant slaves their freedom but planters were withholding them (Emancipation Rumours). In all three cases this rumour aided in the agitation for freedom and precipitated rebellion. While some historians use these rebellions to make the case that slaves emancipated themselves, others are less liberal.
None, however, deny that these later rebellions were pivotal to the passing of the Emancipation
Act August 1, 1833.

Bussa/Barbados Rebellion 1816
Unexpected
The Bussa rebellion of 1816 was not that expected as it is believed that slaves began to plan the rebellion soon after the House of Assembly discussed and rejected the imperial Registry Bill in
November 1815 (Beckles 90). This Bill called for the registration of colonial slaves. As a result of this the rebels had discussed from February to rebel in April. The rebellion surprised the white community who believed slaves were well treated and enjoyed a level of freedom not had in other territories. One planter commented that he slept with his chamber open on that given night
(Beckles 89).
Organization & Leadership
Each plantation actively involved in the

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