The Emancipation

I grew up in four different sugarcane plantation. My mother was a slave, but I was snatched away from her when I was just about four years old. Now being 27 years old, I don’t even recall how she looks like. I never had the honor and privilege of meeting my dad, and my mum never liked talking about her. My first master, Mr. Packer, my first master, was quite a gentleman. He was not as violent and harsh as other masters. For this reason, the rest of the slave owners never held him in high regard. At the age of 12, I was acquired by another slave owner, Mr. Walker. This followed the death of the good old Mr. Packer. Mr. Walker was very mean and brutal, often making us work for very long hours in the sun without food. I worked on his plantation for only two years and was sold to another brutal owner, Mr. Wilfred. It is while at his plantation that my desire to become free grew. I had seen enough of the brutality and oppression that the slaves in the Caribbean were being subjected to. I had started hearing of the brave slaves who were standing up against the institution that was slavery. I was extremely eager to be part and parcel of this movement.

The white masters were hell bent to ensure that slavery persisted. Many of these white masters had become wealthy, thanks to this system. In a bid to ensure that our population remained at controllable levels, they often acted with gross brutality against those deemed to be disobedient. Most of those who fell sick were rarely attended to and were left to die.

The white masters were also keen about creating divisions among the slaves. They placed the people of color into discrete groups depending on the skin shades. Those who found themselves closer to the white end of the spectrum often enjoyed more privileges than those on the other end of the spectrum. Nevertheless, the divisions that the slave owners were trying to create did not deter the voices of descent that were against the entire institution of slavery.

Prior to the emergence of the emancipation movement, one could be deemed lucky if they were able to survive for up to 9 years working in the plantations. Some of the slaves died as a result of diseases, but a significant portion died due to huge workloads and lack of rest. I remember a lot of friends who died as a result of hunger as well as dehydration. With each death of a colleague I witnessed, so did my anger and dissent towards the slave owners increase. I was particularly disgusted by the fact that many plantation owners found it more cost-effective to work their slaves until they die after which they would just bring in new slaves. The slave life in itself was quite a nightmare. Apart from working in the plantations, the slaves also had to work in the sugar mills. The working conditions here were quite dangerous since very limited safety measures had been put in place. Those who fell asleep on the job often ended up sustaining serious injuries which were often treated in the crudest ways possible.

It was on a misty Sunday morning that I eventually made up my mind to run away from the plantation. I had heard rumors about a small group of men that were planning to escape and join other rebels in the mountains. Together with John, a friend of mine, we were able to track down this group of men and requested to join them in escaping the plantation. At first, they were reluctant, pointing out that escaping as a huge group will only attract unnecessary attention. However, they eventually allowed us to join them. As we crept away from the plantation, a feeling of excitement, joy, and peace gradually engulfed me. I felt no fear as we carefully walked through the trees and the thicket way up into the mountains. After a journey lasting approximately 6 hours, we arrived at the point where the larger group of rebels was stationed. We were welcomed quite warmly by Malcolm, the leader of the rebels.

In conclusion, our main mission as the rebels was to push the emancipation campaign. We conducted frequent raids on the plantations, destroying some properties and freeing some of our people in the process. This did not only send shivers down the spines many plantation owners, but it also drove many of them into seeing sense in the slaves’ quest for social, economic and political freedom. This was a clear sign that better days were ahead of the people that had for a long time been enslaved. Our victory was eventually confirmed on August 1, 1834, when the Emancipation Proclamation was read. The day was characterized by a lot of singing and dancing across the Caribbean. Many people, including children, celebrated, with shouts of joy rending the air. With this proclamation, many people were no longer slaves.

References
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Midgely, C. (2016). Women against Slavery. [London]: Routledge.
Moitt, B. (2005). Freedom from bondage at a price: Women and redemption from slavery in the French Caribbean in the nineteenth century. Slavery & Abolition, 26(2), pp.247-256.
Bush-Slimani, B. (1993). Hard Labour: Women, Childbirth, and Resistance in British Caribbean Slave Societies. History Workshop Journal, 36(1), pp.83-99.
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