Jamaica History Insurrection, 1865

The Morant Bay Rebellion (11 October 1865) began with a protest march to the courthouse in Morant Bay, Jamaica by hundreds of people led by preacher Paul Bogle. Some were armed with sticks and stones. After seven men were shot and killed by the volunteer militia, the protesters attacked and burned the courthouse and nearby buildings. Twenty-five people died. Over the next two days, poor freedmen rose in rebellion across most of St. Thomas-in-the-East parish. The freedmen were protesting against widespread poverty and perceived injustices. Most were prevented from voting by high poll taxes, and their living standards had worsened following crop damage by floods, cholera and smallpox epidemics, and a long drought. A few days before the march, when police tried to arrest a man for disrupting a trial, spectators sought to prevent them. Officials then issued a warrant for the arrest of preacher Bogle, who had called for reforms, and he was charged with inciting to riot. Governor Edward John Eyre declared martial law in the area, ordering in troops to hunt down the rebels. They killed more than 400 black people and arrested more than 300, including Bogle. Many were innocent but were quickly tried and executed under martial law; other men and women were punished by whipping and long sentences. This was the most severe suppression of unrest in the history of the British West Indies. The governor had George William Gordon, a mixed-race representative of the parish in the House of Assembly, arrested in Kingston and brought back to Morant Bay, where he tried the politician under martial law. Gordon was quickly convicted and executed. The violent suppression and numerous executions generated debate in England, with some protesting about the unconstitutional actions of the governor, and others praising him for his response to a crisis. The rebellion and its suppression remain controversial, and it is frequently discussed by specialists in black and colonial studies.