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"According
to tradition, ships sailed for Africa with holds full
of idols and brass bracelets while the cabins were occupied
by missionaries - an edifying example of material goods
in competition with the immaterial one. The same ships
carried slaves from Africa to the Caribbean and the U.S.A
and sugar, rice and cotton from the regions to Europe,
an immensely profitable triangular trade route.
Thousands
of cargo ships participated in The Triangular Slave Trade;
vessels from Sweden, Holland, France, Spain, Portugal,
England and the U.S had names like 'Jesus', 'Gift of God',
'Amistad', 'Liberty', 'Justice' - a mockery to the captives,
who had to live in the floating hell-hole dungeons, often
for more than 10 weeks. Up to 30% would perish on the
high seas"…
Eric Williams - Capitalism & Slavery
The
Catholic Church received a Baptising fee for every captured
and transported African. The Dutch Reform Church defended
and justified slavery with the scriptures e.g. Thy Bondsmen
and thy Bondmaids which thou shalt have, shall be of the
heathen that are round about you….
Leviticus XXV, 44-45"
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The European Transatlantic Slave Trade was a trade - through
warfare, trickery, banditry and kidnapping"….
Walter Rodney |
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The
Preamble – The plantations and estates in the island cannot
be managed and improved without the labour of a great
number of slaves, but that these are of “Barbarous, wild
and savage Natures”. This necessitates laws for keeping
order among them and for keeping them under subjugation.
All of which will be conducive to the Security, Peace
and Happiness of the Colony.
Clause
(1) That slaves maiming, wounding or striking white
persons on any pretence whatsoever, except in defense
of their owners’ or employers’ personal goods, shall suffer
death or punishment proportionate to the crime. A Justice
of the Peace shall be empowered to order a public whipping
to any slave who insults, abuses, threatens or acts contemptuously
towards a white person.
Clause
(2) That slaves willfully setting fires to canes,
works, dwelling houses or other buildings or who have
attempted to give poison to any person, shall be put to
death as felons.
Clause
(8) Any slave attempting to leave the island or inveigling
others to do so, shall suffer death.
Clause
(19) That because of the danger inherent in slaves
from different plantations banding together – “any owner
letting slaves beat any drum, empty casks, great gourds
or blow horns and shells, or allowing slaves belonging
elsewhere to mix with their own, shall forfeit 10 pounds.”
Kind
courtesy – La Magdalena by David Phillips –
Available Island Investments 639-9901
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LA
MAGDALENA
The
Story of Tobago 1498-1898
By
David Phillips
The
above named title, a most excellent history of Tobago, provides
the reader with riveting details of the discovery and colonization
of the island,
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together
with the various Acts and machinations necessary to administrate
this unique and beautiful colony.
The
author David Phillips, now deceased, worked in Colonial
Banking in the Caribbean and Tobago in particular and began
researching the island's history in 1975. Chairman of The
Tobago Trust (creators of the Tobago Museum), he lived in
retirement on the island he loved. His family runs the successful
business Island Investments, from whom this excellent tome
of 400 pages can be obtained.
For
a factual account of the owners of the plantations and the
numbers of their slaves, the various governors, accounts
of the wars, skirmishes, and the politics behind the numerous
decisions taken by the plantocracy and the Crown, the formation
of the Assembly and the Parliamentary and governing bodies,
details of yearly productions and several visitors' accounts,
David Phillips has left the lovers of history a masterpiece
of good writing and historical data.
A collector
of antique charts of the island and books related to the
history of the Caribbean, he has provided us with a thorough
understanding of the history of the place names you'll encounter
as you traverse the island and much, much more besides!
Explore
more, Enjoy more!
Published by www.iuniverse,com Avl. from Island Investments,
Shirvan Rd. and Khan's Book Store, Lowlands Mall.
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THE
BELMANNA RIOTS A Proclamation by Lt. Gov. R.W. Harley
Extract from the Tobago Gazette - Friday May 12th 1876
Whereas certain Acts of Incendiarism having taken place
in the Windward District of this Island and great resistance
having been offered to the arrest of the alleged incendiaries………………………..
And whereas a certain police officer has been killed
and others have been dangerously wounded in endeavouring
to execute the Warrants for the arrest of the said incendiaries
and whereas many persons in the said District have been
guilty of serious breaches of the Peace and have used
and are still using threats towards the property and
persons of Her Majesty's well disposed subjects……………………
I
DO
HEREBY DESIRE IT TO BE MADE KNOWN TO ALL - Persons who
have been guilty of the said acts and also of any breach
of the Peace will be speedily punished with the utmost
severity of the law.
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Subsequently,
fourty persons were indicted for murder with 16 of them
being sentenced to death, later commuted to penal servitude
except 2 who were later reprieved. (Slaves were expensive
assets). Some historians say that the main body of the
revolt was Barbadian immigrant labourers employed on
Roxborough estate, while others claim the overseers
were Barbadian and harsh disciplinarians. One thing
that's certain is the leader, a black woman known as
'Ti Piggi' led the protest and was shot dead by Corporal
Belmanna, which act resulted in his own death by the
protestors. Proclamation reproduced kind courtesy of
La Magdalena by David Phillips - Avl. from Island Investments
639 9901
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