What happened? An Interactive Guide

 The production of sugar, tobacco and cotton on Barbados was heavily reliant on enslaved Africans. Barbados dominated the Caribbean Sugar Industry in the early years. By 1720 Barbados was no longer a dominant force in the sugar industry. They had been surpassed by Jamaica.  What had gone wrong?

 A) the locust plague of  B) a fire in the capital Bridgetown.  C) a major hurricane in  D) drought in 1668 ruined some planters and then excessive rain in  E) Or all of them.  /slave_routes/slave_routes_barbados.shtml /slave_routes/slave_routes_barbados.shtml

 E) all of them.

 Bussa, a head Ranger at Bayley's Plantation, lead what has been recorded as the Bussa Rebellion - a tremendous revolt against the racist, white Sugar Cane Planters.  About_Barbados/Local_Information/People/B arbados_National_Heroes/838.htm About_Barbados/Local_Information/People/B arbados_National_Heroes/838.htm

 A) The rejection of the Imperial Registry Bill in November, 1815 where slaves had to be registered.  B) The slaves were sick of the punishments they were getting.  C) Bussa bullied the other slaves to follow him.  D) There had not been a rebellion for 124 years so it was about time there was.

 A) the slaves thought they were being denied their freedom by the slave owners

 The British troops were led by Colonel Edward Codd, who led a regiment of the British West Indies troops, black troops, as well as some British white troops.  The slaves numbered about 400  Would the black troops join the rebellion or stay loyal to the British slave owners?

 The black troops stayed loyal to the British  The rebels had not counted on the bravery and loyalty to the whites of the free coloured militia or the regular black troops. Colonel Codd let the black troops lead the attack at Bayley’s plantation.  What do you think happened next, how did the rebellion progress??

 A) the slaves gave up and went back to work.  B) the slaves did not destroy any property.  C)The slaves killed everyone they came across in a violent outburst.  D) The slaves were quite gentle with the people they captured.

 D) the slaves treated the white slave owners they captured very well.  During the rebellion there was a lot of destruction of property but only one white civilian and one black soldier was killed in all the upheaval.  This means the black slaves treated their slave owners very well – how did the whites react when the rebellion had been overcome?

 A) fifty rebels were killed in battle.  B) some rebels, seventy, were executed straight after the battle.  C) there was a trial – 144 were executed and had their heads and bodies displayed in public.  D) slaves were sent to other islands to prevent further trouble.  E) all of the above.

 E) all of the statements happened.  The white slave owners did not restrain themselves as the slaves had done.

 Although the rebellion did not succeed was it worth it? What were the slaves fighting for?  Their freedom?  For other slaves?  For themselves?  Someone once said that it is better to die on your feet than live on your knees – do you think this is how the rebels felt?

 ssa/bussa.pdf ssa/bussa.pdf   Inhuman Bondage by David Brion Davis p