Jamaica rebellion 1831\1832
Main personality : Samuel Sharpe

Causes

• The slaves refused to work on Christmas day of 1831 and after unless they were better treated and consideration of freedom were accepted by esstate owners and managers. • Thanks to the educational work among slaves conducted for most part by the non conformist missionaries, increasing number of slaves had learn to read and could follow report of British local events in newspaper. • Despite repeated denials, rumors were going around that freedom was about to be granted. • Many of the slaves believed that “the king had made them free” and that their freedom was being delayed by local slave owners. This belief was strong among the Baptists as they said lord and king had given them freedom but the white gentlemen in Jamaica kept it back. • Sam Sharpe could read newspapers and he heard the people at the bay talk he would then bring up all news and spread it among the negroes on the plantations. Sometimes he would bring newspapers from the bay and read m to the slaves. Course of rebellion

• The plan was for the rebellion to commence on Christmas it was conceived and worked out by Sam Sharpe a Creole slave on Crydon estate in St. James. • Sam Sharpe’s plan for rebellion spread through parishes of St. James , Trelawny, St.Elizabeth ,Hanover ,Westmoreland and even Manchester. • Sam Sharpe’s plan was based on passive résistance where slaves would refuse to work unless better treatment and consideration for freedom was accepted by sate owners and managers and slaves paid wages after the Christmas holiday. • Word spread of the plan spread and reached planters who then called for troops and warships which were sent t by sea to St. James . • On December 27,1831 the Kensington great house was set on fire, signaling the start of the rebellion.

Outcome of the rebellion • The rebellion was suppressed. • Sam Sharpe was hanged • • About 500 Slaves were killed and 14 whites. • The process of emancipation was accelerated