Stono Rebellion the uprise of slaves

September 9, 1739, was marked in history as the Stono Rebellion. At this time in South Carolina, a group of slaves was formed and led by an Angolan named Jemmy. This group consisted of both men and women who were slaves and owned by whites. It started with a small number of people, but as they march along the Stono River, their rebellion group grew to become a group of about one hundred followers (Wood, 1974).

How did the rebellion start? The start of this insurrection is unknown until this day. However, there are a few theories as to what may have triggered this event's occurrence. One theory has to do with the clearance of the Security Act. About mid-August, a month prior, a new Security Act was published in the local newspaper (Wood, 1974). The Security Act stated that whites were to carry firearms on Sundays at church. Now it is important to note that Sundays are almost considered a rest day, a day where the slaves can work on themselves. Another theory of this event taking place is the malaria epidemic uprise in the area, being the cause of the timing of this rebellion taking place. There is no way to be sure as to what really caused this to take place.

On the 9th of September, a Sunday, the day the rebellion occurred a group of rebel slaves visited a gun shop and killed the two store owners. After they had done that they to had been armed and continued to march for their liberty. Along the way, slave owners were killed, and slaves themselves were forced to join the group of rebels and carry on the march. These rebels stopped at a number of houses, killed a great number of people, and recruited other slaves who they encountered.

After walking for over ten miles, they had stopped in a field, just before reaching a river known as Edisto River. At this point, they had killed around twenty some people. They did not know, but it is to be expected, that a group of whites set out in the hunt for this rebellious group. When they had finally reached the group of slaves, shots were shared amongst both groups. This resulted in the death of slaves, and also the escape of others. Over the course of a month, many of the slaves who vanished were found and executed. Over the following six months, all except one slave was found.

This event was indeed tragic. After this had taken place, the white colonist had created and worked on the Negro Act, which limited the already minimum privilege that slaves had at the time. This had restricted slaves from growing their own food, gather in groups, earn money, or even having some educational background.

Now, looking back at this point in history, the conspiracy is, in fact, the uprising of slaves to kill their masters. I personally think it was more of just gaining freedom rather than going against their owners. At this point, whites were worried about insurrection and felt the need to up their power and authority with firearms. Because of this change, it is understandable that slaves would be more worried, and want their freedom more than ever. However, many still wonder if it could have been just the fact of gaining power over slave owners and attempting to reverse the roles.

What are your thoughts? Was it more than just wanting freedom? Were the slaves trying to rebel in a means of revenge? Comment your thoughts!

• Maleka Benjamin
  
  

Source

Peter H. Wood, Black Majority: Negroes in Colonial South Carolina from 1670s through the Stono Rebellion (London: W.W. Norton and Co, 1974); http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p284.html.