The liberators of Tobago

Dr Rita Pemberton

THE YEAR 1770 is of significance in the history of Tobago as it relates to two major points of achievement as seen by two different sectors of the society. What was a point of celebration for one group was a bitter pill for the other.

The British claims to possession of Tobago succeeded over French claims in 1763, but this was not an agreement to which the French willingly submitted; this treaty was no signal that France had given up on possessing Tobago.

The British, in an attempt to shore up their defences with an increased population of Englishmen, proceeded with extreme haste to make the island visibly British, with strong evidence of an active resident population, in the hope that population size might deter the French from attacking.

This led to an attempt to establish plantations across the island as quickly as possible. Land commissioners were sent out to survey it and demarcate lots of up to 500 acres to be sold to people with the labour required to establish sugar plantations, to be made operative within two years of purchase.

This, however, did not dissuade the French, who remained determined to wrest control of the island from the British.

However, in 1770 the first shipment of sugar was sent to Britain. This was considered a great achievement and stimulated great expectations of plantation agriculture. Tobago seemed poised for a sugar boom, and it was expected that this would encourage investors and increase land sales.

However, the positive vibes of the planters ran contrary to the feelings and mood of the enslaved Africans, who constituted the unwilling work force.

The effort to produce sugar fell on the recently imported Africans, who were made to undertake the back-breaking work required for clearing the forests, preparing the ground, which attained very high elevations in some parts of the island and planting and reaping canes, in addition to coping
ad nauseam with the brutality and subhuman living conditions under which they were forced to work and live.

However, they refused to accept enslavement and demonstrated their intolerance by fighting to free themselves. The first half of the 1770s witnessed the first confrontational liberation efforts of the enslaved population under British rule.

On November 11, 1770, Sandy, an enslaved worker on the Courland Estate, and six others led an attack on their oppressors in a bid for freedom. They first attacked the military post to acquire weapons, but having failed, they attacked the estate, killing Samuel Hall, one of its owners.

A day later, 33 others joined the rebellion, which spread to Mt Irvine, Riseland and other estates.

The revolt inflicted six weeks of terror, resulting in 20 whites being killed before the rebels were subdued. Five were killed in fighting, and two were caught and executed as examples of the fate that would befall those who dared oppose their owners.

Sandy was never captured and the authorities were unhappy with his disappearance, which deprived them of the opportunity to punish him. Most of all, they were concerned that he might reappear and influence further rioting. Even in his absence Sandy represented the spirit of resistance which stimulated a wave of liberation movements.

The second bid for freedom, in windward Tobago, started at Betsy’s Hope Estate and spread to the windward parishes, with 20 Europeans being killed before peace was restored.

On June 7, 1771, 38 of the 42 members of the enslaved population of Bloody Bay Estate escaped and established a maroon settlement in the surrounding hills. Two weeks later, when it was discovered, the seven houses, clothing and food of the maroons were completely burnt by the authorities – but some maroons were not recaptured.

In August 1771 40 enslaved Africans in Parlatuvier established a maroon settlement in the hills and evaded the authorities for weeks before seven were captured and five executed. The two ringleaders were deported to the Spanish main, from where they would no longer be able to stimulate activities that disturbed the peace.

By these means it was assumed the enslaved population would be permanently subdued.

However, the desire for freedom could not be stifled, and at the same time the planting community engaged in a range of strategies to obtain intelligence about plots so they could act in advance.

In January 1773, when news of a planned insurrection reached the authorities, it was nipped in the bud.

But at the end of 1773, to the shock of the planters, there was a planned islandwide insurrection. The enslaved Africans made a valiant attempt to liberate themselves while their enslavers fought to protect their human and landed property. After 16 days of bloody fighting, this resistance effort was put down and the leaders punished.

In March 1774, 48 enslaved people from Betsy’s Hope burned and destroyed the estate and sought refuge in the hills near Charlotteville. Once they were captured, the right arms of the captives were amputated before they were burned alive. Samson, the eighth member of the group, who bore his punishment without flinching to demonstrate his commitment to resistance, was executed in chains.

This reprisal was considered essential to nip resistance movements in the bud, to dissuade others from any such action in future, and stimulate such fear that there would be obedience to their masters.

The fact is that the plantation owners were seriously disturbed over the possibility that these resistance movements would permanently destroy the fledgling sugar industry. In addition, there were concerns that they would tarnish the image of Tobago that plantation owners sought so hard to build.

The exaggerated image of Tobago projected in the advertisements for land sales on the island, described it as fertile, healthy and scenic and offering the possibility to significant returns for investors.

The claim that the island was healthy was untrue, because the mortality rate of white males was very high, and the island was dubbed “a white man’s grave.”

There was no mention of the disturbing resistance activity that enveloped the island in the first five years as a British possession.

Of great concern to the authorities was the persistent fear of the French designs on the island and the opportunity that the internal difficulties with the enslaved population would offer the French to take possession of it.

Without prodding, support or direction from any external forces, religious or organised anti-slavery groups, the enslaved population of Tobago registered their intolerance with enslavement and went into resistance mode from the very start of slavery. They fought for their liberation, and although subsequently resort was made to other forms of resistance, Sandy and Samson remain Tobago's first liberators.