Jasmini O’Brien Form 4L Caribbean History

Questions (1st SET)

1. What do you know about the Church of England?
The church of England was the church of the planters and it did little to help
the slaves. The church acted against the slaves by denying their religion.

2. What do you know about the Roman Catholic Church?

The Roman Catholic Church was active in the Spanish islands and it
converted and instructed many slaves. The attitude of the Roman Catholic
Church was the same as the Anglican Church.

3. Name some Nonconformist Missions.

 Their missions were self-sufficiency so that a close Moravian
community developed when they took over a plantation “lock, stock
and barrel”.
 They built large, brick church in Kingstown and sent out preachers on
horseback to reach the slave sin the field who could not attend the
main church.

4. Why were the planters against the Nonconformist Mission?

The planters were against the Nonconformist mission because the
nonconformist missions were preaching about the bad things about slaver
and all of the injustice carried out by the planters.

5. List the obstacles faced by the missionaries.

 The law was used to make things difficult for the missionaries. For
e.g. in St. Vincent, the legislature passed a law in 1793 which required
that a minister had to reside in the island for a year or more before he
could preach.
 There were too few missionaries for the work they had to perform.
They had to teach the slaves on the estate. So, they had to travel long
distances on horseback in the scorching hot sun.
 The slaves were accustomed to the “patois” language among
themselves and when the missionaries came to help them, the slaves
didn’t understand their instructions which posed a huge problem. A
language barrier was created and as a solution, the missionaries
Jasmini O’Brien Form 4L Caribbean History

wanted to teach a few of the slaves to read and write but this was
against the laws. It was simply not allowed.
 What the missionaries perceived to be irreligion and immorality were
widespread among the slaves. Now, to counteract this, each
denomination applied strict rules and didn’t accept the slaves as a
member of the church until they passed a test. The slaves were asked a
few questions and if they answered satisfactorily, they were baptized.
 The missionaries thought of the slave’s beliefs and rituals as
superstitious and wanted to convert the slaves to Christianity but they
were often less successful.

6. What were the immediate causes of the emancipation of slaves?

 Evidence of planter brutality came from the West Indies and from
other colonies such as Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean.
 In May 1830, at a public meeting in London, a resolution was adopted
for the immediate emancipation of slaves in the British colonies.
 There was a strong movement (the political reform) that gave more
votes and increased parliamentary representation of the new industrial
towns. These reforms would help emancipation by increasing the
parliamentary influence of the evangelicals and the new industrialists
who were already changing their ideas about slave – produced sugar.
 In 1831, the British government offered lower duties on sugar in
return for amendments to slave laws by colonial legislation. Then they
put forward the idea of compensation to slave-owners for freeing their
slaves.

7. What were the terms of the Emancipation Act of 1833?

 Slave children under six years old were to be freed immediately.
 Slaves over six would have to serve an apprenticeship of six years in
the case of field slaves, and four years in the case of all others.
 Apprentices should work for not more than forty-five hours per week
without pay, and any additional hours with pay.
 Apprentices should be provided with food and clothing by the master.
Jasmini O’Brien Form 4L Caribbean History

 Compensation in the form of a free gift of 20 M pounds should be

paid to slave – owners throughout the British Empire on condition that
the local legislatures passed laws to bring emancipation.
 The apprenticeship period could be shortened, but no alternative to
apprenticeship would be allowed.

8. Which countries did not have to serve apprenticeship?

Antigua and Bermuda did not have to serve apprenticeship.

9. What was the compensation received by the British West Indies?

The compensation received by the British West Indies was 16 500 000
pounds.

Questions (2ND SET)

1. What were the three reasons for apprenticeship?

 Apprenticeship was used to soften the blow of emancipation by
giving the planters a few more years of free labor, while conceding
to the slaves their freedom. Planters would also be given a
compensation so there would be more money to circulate in the
economy.
 Apprenticeship was justified on the grounds that the ex-slaves
would need time to adjust to looking after themselves, handling
money and supporting their families and the slaves would get a
sense of freedom.
 The planters needed time to adjust to wage labours, and there was
certainly more foundation for this argument. There were no banks
in Jamaica and planters were not accustomed to transactions in
cash. However, planters did not use apprenticeship period to adjust
to a cash economy. Also, there would be more money to circulate
in the economy.
Jasmini O’Brien Form 4L Caribbean History

2. What were two drawbacks of the apprenticeship?

 The planters would behave as if they still had slave labor. The
planters tried to exact as much work as possible from the ex-slaves
and planters were unwilling to pay for labour beyond forty-five
hours’ free labour per week.
 The ex-slaves would think that they were completely free and
refuse to work. By doing so, they were breaking the law and could
be put in the workhouse or “House of Correction”, where they
were treated as plantation slaves again.

3. How was treadmill used?

The treadmill was used a form humanitarian punishment which was
actually the opposite. The slaves were strapped by their wrists to a high
bar with their legs working a revolving drum by continuous stepping on
the steps. If they stopped, the boards would come round and hit their
shins a painful blow, so they just had to keep walking. A man with a
whip stood by to keep them toiling.

4. Why were special magistrate appointed during apprenticeship?

Special magistrates were appointed to ensure that the apprenticeship
system was not abused. They also had to answer appeals from ex-slaves
who complained of ill – treatment.

5. Why were special magistrate unpopular with the planters?

Special magistrates were unpopular with the planters because they
listened to the appeals of the ex – slaves and frequently upheld them.

6. Was apprenticeship a failure? Give reasons for the answers.

Yes. The apprenticeship system was a failure. This was so because:
Jasmini O’Brien Form 4L Caribbean History

 To the ex-slaves, apprenticeship seemed to be a continuation of

slavery and it was unpopular with the planters, even though it was
designed to help them.
 There was great cruelty in the workhouses and it was reported by a
Quaker humanitarian. The treadmill system was very cruel and
often the special magistrates would side with the planters against
the slaves.
 The apprenticeship system had many flaws and was not very
effective so it came to an end two years earlier.

7. When slavery ended in the French island?

On 27 April, 1848, Schoelcher drew up a bill proposing the abolition of
slavery throughout the French empire.