Trapped under French rule: Enslaved Africans in Tobago

Dr Rita Pemberton

DESPITE ITS intention to establish and maintain a firm hold on Tobago after the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the British faced a humiliating defeat when French forces made a surprise attack on the island and forced the British army to surrender.

By this act Tobago became a French possession from 1781-1793, which was a tumultuous period in the island’s history.

The change was not simply that of a change of administration with the expected adjustments and challenges, for France itself was embroiled in revolution, which affected the island, where both royalists and revolutionaries were domiciled. In addition, revolutionary activity was stimulated from Martinique, which was the centre of French Caribbean administration.

The prevailing conditions during the French attack provided opportunities for enslaved Africans to undertake the flight to freedom.

However, the situation was very complex, for at the same time, severe restrictions were imposed on the enslaved population. In the first instance, the British response to the French attack was to “enlist” enslaved men to strengthen their fighting forces, and some died in the process.

Also, marauding French soldiers attacked plantations, burnt buildings, and killed some enslaved people, who were considered enemies. In the resulting confusion some enslaved people sought refuge in the island’s forested areas, where maroon communities were established.

When the war was over and France was the declared victor, the French administration moved with alacrity to wring economic benefits from Tobago. Their first undertaking was an accurate assessment of the resources at their command. This was done by holding a periodic census to establish the size and composition of the population, the number of operating estates, and the quantum of annual production.

The French viewed population size as central to the island’s economic growth; hence they pursued a policy to stimulate population increase. However, this was tied to the need to establish and strengthen French influence on the population while negating English influence.

The policy was to increase Tobago’s population by introducing people from the other French islands in the region, especially Grenada and from nearby Trinidad, which possessed a significant French population. It was proposed to use money bribes and other concessions to persuade 4,000 artisans and free coloured French settlers to come from Trinidad to Tobago, but this never materialised. The assembly also proposed to provide tax exemptions to fathers for each living child under 14.

However, seven years after the French conquest, the administration turned its attention to the enslaved population. Focus was placed on those who had escaped from the plantations during the French attack. A special campaign to track down and capture all the maroons who had established communities in the forests was implemented. This venture terminated the maroon settlements, which had lasted for about seven years.

The success of this effort was due to the assistance provided by Noel, an enslaved African from Argyle Estate who was very familiar with both the forested areas and the maroon residents. He guided the French authorities through the forests to the settlements and facilitated their recapture. The assembly purchased him from his owner and rewarded him with his freedom.

The outbreak of the revolution in France ricocheted in Tobago. Troops under instigation from troopers broke out into rebellion four times. Fires were set in the town on May 2 and 3, during which 43 stores were burnt to the ground.

The situation stimulated fears that the enslaved population might use the opportunity to rise in rebellion at a time when the military was distracted. As was done in France, an attempt was made to pacify the population, with the organisation of a public parade of the troops who took the oath of loyalty to the King. However, some dissidents refused to take the oath, but a grand fete was held on October 29, with gun salutes, and participants dined, sang and drank to the health of the nation.

In November 1789, arrivals from Martinique influenced some inhabitants of Tobago who displayed the emblem of the revolutionaries. A mutiny on November 22 involved four corporals and 69 soldiers and caused the authorities to review the troops and beef up security. While the instigators left the island for their safety, this confusion could not benefit the enslaved, because the strengthened security reduced their opportunity for successful resistance.

Occurrences in Paris in 1792 and particularly the law of March 28, 1792, the gift of liberty of the glorious revolution, raised the question of freedom in the colony. The authorities explained they were not averse to the creation of a free population, but were afraid of the consequences of freedom for the enslaved population, and a decision on the implementation of the law was deferred until the arrival of the special commissioners from France.

Meanwhile, the British authorities advanced their plans to retake Tobago. On April 15, 1793, British troops landed at Great Courland Bay and moved to Scarborough without being detected, and, augmented by enslaved Africans, stormed the fort, drove out the French troops and forced the French to surrender. Some enslaved people who escaped when the fort was stormed were later recaptured.

Ralph Abercromby recommended forming a black military establishment in the British colonies by purchasing enslaved Africans from their owners. On April 26, 1793, Tobago was required to contribute 400 Africans to the troops to defend the British colonies against France. Initially only 200 were sent, but an additional 100 were contributed only after a more exorbitant price was paid for their release.

Under the French administration of Tobago, an effort was made to close opportunities for the liberation of the enslaved population and maintain their enslaved status. The maroon communities were dismantled, and their members returned to the plantations, where their labour was required to increase production and generate the profits France wanted from its colonies.

Despite the confusion in France and on the island, focus was placed on reducing the opportunities for resistance by strengthening the armed forces and preventing liberation even when it came as a dictate from France, trapping the Africans into continued enslavement.

This policy did not permit France to maintain its hold in the face of the British onslaught in 1793.