The Sam Sharpe Rebellion: A Beacon of Resistance
Let me tell you a story of how Jamaica changed the world. By 1831, the system of forced labour, mainly through chattel slavery, would have existed in Jamaica and most of the other colonies in the Americas for close to 300 years. Almost all production of value in the colonies, involved the use of forced and unpaid labour. This meant that all the profit and wealth created in the colonies which went to enrich the European empires, whether from mining of gold nuggets, production of sugar, or domestic work, came from the subsidy that unpaid labour provided. To justify denying labour a share of the profits from production by not paying wages, the enslaved person was dehumanized, and considered the property of the slave master.
However, in the heart of our island, amidst the sugar cane fields and the oppressive weight of colonial rule, Sam Sharpe emerged as a beacon of enlightenment. A Baptist deacon, a visionary, and a man of unwavering faith, he challenged the status quo on a fundamental and profound level. With his sermons he elevated the minds of his fellow enslaved by showing them that Christianity did not justify slavery. In fact, slavery was inconsistent with Christianity, one could not be a Christian and be a slave or enslave another. Second, he demanded economic rights, organizing probably the first industrial action as we term it today, in the form of a peaceful labour strike to secure a reasonable wage rate of “half the going wage rate” at the time. The enslaved workers swore an oath to stay away from work until their demands were met by the plantation owners.
What began as passive resistance became a full-fledged rebellion, it echoed across plantations, villages and hearts. The winds of change carried more than whispers; they carried the flames of rebellion. The Baptist War, as it became to be known, erupted in 1831 and became the largest slave uprising in the British West Indies.
Sam Sharpe’s vision was more than securing personal freedom; it demanded economic justice. He understood freedom also meant the power to control resources and engage in meaningful and rewarding production. The rebellion was brutally put down and Sam Sharpe was hanged on May 23, 1832.
The Abolition of Slavery: Triumph Against All Odds
As the rebellion echoed through the hills, across the Caribbean Sea, and beyond, it reverberated in the British Parliament. Not only was the rebellion a wake-up call to the precarious and fragile state of the colony and a harbinger of more rebellions to come, it was also used by abolitionists as the perfect example of the brutality and immorality of slavery. By the time of the Sam Sharpe rebellion, the Industrial Revolution was well underway, technological advances, and the development of free market ideas and principles inevitably came into conflict with Planter interest. The profits from sugar were artificially created by slave labour, and the production of slave economies could be more efficiently done by industrial economies which would mean lower prices to British consumers. Sam Sharpe’s rebellion therefore showed that slavery as an economic system was no longer viable. Finally, the cries of the oppressed could no longer be ignored. In 1833, the Slavery Abolition Act was passed—a seismic shift that shattered the chains binding millions. Jamaica stood at the forefront, a testament to courage and resilience. Full emancipation was finally achieved at midnight on July 31, 1838.
Emancipation Day: Our Anthem of Liberation
And so, on this day so hallowed in our history, we gather as one people to commemorate the unconquerable spirit of our ancestors—the brave souls who broke the chains, who dared to dream of freedom, and who ignited a flame that would forever change the course of history. Today we raise our voices in jubilation. We honour Sam Sharpe, whose sacrifice ignited a revolution. We remember his famous words in a letter to the British Parliament, he said “I would rather die upon yonder gallows than live in slavery”.
We remember the countless souls who toiled, suffered, and yearned for a dawn of liberty. Their legacy courses through our veins, urging us to build a Jamaica where justice flows like our rivers, where equality blooms like our tropical flowers.
Our Journey Continues
We cannot afford to rest on our laurels. The struggle for justice persists — with the lessons of history still echoing in our lives today. It is crucial that we continue to advocate for reparations, but we do not wait on it. We must use our freedom to build our own wealth and secure our economic independence. Every child who celebrates freedom today must be taught that their joy is built upon the courage and sacrifices of those who fought for freedom and for the right to be able to use our God given talent and energy for our sustainable economic gain.
So together, we honour our past, shape our future, and march towards our glorious, shared destiny as a proud and free people ignited with purpose.
Happy Emancipation Day, Jamaica!