How Often Rebellions Occurred
The popular anti-slavery medallion, designed in 1786, depicted a Black man kneeling on one knee with his shackled hands held up. This reflected the view held by many that Africans were complacent in the fight for their freedom.
The truth is that enslaved Africans – especially in the Caribbean and South America – fiercely fought against their oppressors through numerous uprisings or rebellions.
Rebellions were less common in North America, as Africans taken there were greatly outnumbered by whites. Nat Turner’s rebellion of 1832 is the most commonly referenced uprising, while smaller acts of subversiveness were known as day-to-day-resistance.
This included breaking, hiding or stealing tools, burning crops and structures, running away, feigning illness, killing domestic animals and deliberate work slowdowns.
By contrast, rebellions were common in the Caribbean where the Africans sometimes outnumbered whites by more than 90 percent.
The first major slave rebellion was in 1522. The enslaved Africans on the Spanish island of Hispaniola (now the Dominican Republic and Haiti) tried to escape. Revolts were a regular feature of the plantation life after that. Before the end of the 17th century, there had been rebellions on the islands of St. Kitts, Barbados, Guadeloupe and Jamaica. Uprisings continued into the 18th century, and intensified in the early 19th century as the Black population heard rumors of the approaching end to slavery.
The problems caused by the frequent rebellions were a severe threat to the continuation of slavery and the economic viability of the plantation system.
