Response to Revolt

Objective: to be able to explain the negative impact of the 19th century revolts on the system of
slavery and the positive impact of the revolts on the emancipation process

 NEGATIVE IMPACT ON SLAVERY

 The Revolts raised the atmosphere of fear and tension to very high levels in the
societies in which slavery existed. Slavery was a system that was supposed to
make the white slave owners have the best of life. The threat and suspicion of a
possible revolt re occurring created great tension in places like Barbados.
 The Revolts damaged the finances of societies that depended on slavery. Revolts
such as the Demerara revolt involved destruction of property such as canefields
and slaves. People from Europe were becoming more reluctant in investing in
something that could go up in flames due to the revolts.
 Slavery was a system that was supported because many people believed in it.
Many in Europe believed in it because they saw Blacks as being sub-human. The
Slaver Revolts however, revealed a lot of the humanity of the Blacks, and a lot of
their equality with Whites. When the public heard that slaves had READ about
moves to emancipate them, ORGANISED strikes, more whites saw proof that
Blacks were just like them and being just like them they did not deserve to be
chained like animals. Could animals have organized themselves like Sam Sharpe
did?? No way.
 Positive Impact on Emancipation Process
It must be said that even the negative impacts on Slavery above would automatically
also help the push to get Emancipation (Freedom). But nevertheless, here are some
ways in which the revolts aided the push for Emancipation
 The savage response of the slave owners to the slave rebellions turned many
Europeans against the slave masters and let them join or support abolitionist
movements. After some of these slave revolts the slave masters reacted quite
harshly, killing even white Missionaries who they wildly accused of conspiring
with the enslaved rebels. John Smith died in prison after the Demerara Revolt,
Thomas Burchell and William Knibb were arrested following the Sam Sharpe
Rebellion. The reports and testimonies of these beloved white missionaries
stirred many against slave master and on the side of emancipation. When the
public heard of how over 500 unarmed rebels were killed in the Christmas Revolt
and of how the planters started the Colonial Church Union which burnt down the
churches of non-conformist missionaries, it created more European people who
were now anti-slave master and thus pro emancipationnn.
 The slave revolts served as a motivation for the abolitionists. The message they
got was that if these people are willing to risk their lives to fight for their
freedom then why shouldn’t we argue for them?
 The fact that slave revolts occurred even after 1823 when proposals were made
to improve slave conditions in the british Caribbean (Demerara and Sam Sharpe
Revolt) , proved that Amelioration could not work. It showed abolitionists as well
 as government officials that only one thing could make the enslaved stop
revolting – FREEDOM
 Some planters joined the emancipation movement due to the revolts. They saw
the revolts such as in Barbados as a threat to their lives and their property and
thus concluded it was best for them to be alive with their plantations and pay
people than to risk losing lives or property as some had done in revolts.