Insurrection had been a part of life on Jamaica ever since the island was first settled by the English in 1665, when the Maroons (originally Spanish-owned slaves) fought against their new English masters and fled to the hills. Periodic uprisings amongst the plantation slaves, added to the unpredictable and harsh weather, made the overseer’s job doubly hard. However difficult plantation life was for the Scots, it was of course many times worse for the slaves.
Hard labour and poor treatment drove many slaves to attempt escape. Efforts to air any grievances were met with punishment as the letter from Rozelle Plantation written in October 1735 shows:
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Having attempted to explain that many of the workers had fled to the woods the overseer ordered him to be severely punished. The discontent was no surprise to the overseer who was assured it was due to too much indulgence by former overseers. [DC17/1] Click on the image for enlarged view. |