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Cuba, the Caribbean Islands,
and Central America in 2001

Jamaica

Bec
2004-09-17 16:25:21

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This interesting structure called "The Cage", on Sam Sharpe Square in the heart of Montego Bay was built in 1806 as a jail for runaway slaves and drunk seamen.

Jamaica was an avid consumer of slaves. Over a million slaves were brought to Jamaica of which about 200 000 were re-exported during the three century period of slavery. Yet, after at least 12 generations of slave reproduction, there were only 325 000 left when slavery was abolished. It was cheaper for the plantation owners to replace the slaves they had worked to death than to take proper care of them.

Naturally such harsh treatment led to resistance and numerous rebellions broke out periodically not only in Jamaica but everywhere in the Caribbean. African religions were banned by the whites who realised that they could become vehicles of resistance and revolt but the blacks adapted by disguising their traditionnal beliefs behind Christian images and rituals. In Jamaica this produced the Pocomania religion derived from the ancient Cumina faith from Africa.

Samuel Sharpe was a black Baptist lay preacher. For months, he used the cover of prayer meetings to decry the injustices of slavery and to organise the rebellion of 20 000 slaves in December 1831. The rebels managed to resist a British regiment for months but they were finally tricked into surrendering by a promise of amnesty and the false rumour that the British parliament had abolished slavery. The white vengeance was terrible, thousands of blacks were put to death. A gallows was erected in the central square that now bears the name of Sam Sharpe who was executed there in May 1832.

These dramatic events contributed to the abolition of slavery in all British holdings on August first, 1834. Slavery was over but the blacks still depended on the white landowners for their livelihood. Ruthless exploitation and unfair white laws led to sporadic strikes and rebellions in many ...