🎄MERRY CHRISTMAS🎄 Today, in 1831. Over 60,000 Jamaican S…

During the 19th century, Jamaica was essentially used as one large plantation by the British.

Most, if not all of the Black residents were enslaved. In fact, Slaves outnumbered Whites 12:1 on the island.

Racial tensions were at all time highs.

Rumors began to circulate around the island that emancipation was on the way for the slaves.

A rumor created by Baptist missionaries to try to pacify the slaves and to thwart any revolts.

The truth, once realized, only angered the slaves even further.

Christian & Baptist missionaries thought their religion would essentially keep the slaves in check.

What they didn't count on was the slaves taking their Christianity and mixing it with Afro-Jamaican religion called "Myalism".

If you're knowledgeable about Jamaican culture and slang, then you would be familiar with the term "Duppy".

This term originates from the Myal Religion, and is believed to be one of the two souls a human gets when they are born into the world.

Jamaican Slaves would hold political meetings disguised as church services.

Since they weren't indoctrinated to be "obedient" slaves, instigating a revolt didn't take much effort.

Since missionaries were rarely at these meetings, they could plot freely.

These meetings were led by none other than Samuel Sharp, a Baptist slave from Montego Bay.

Sharp was able to move around the island more freely than most slaves.

Sharp and his following came up with a plan that they believed was peaceful and reasonable.

On December 25th 1831, Sharp & his following went on strike and demanded the following:

-Freedom
-Higher Wages of "Half the going rate"

That's it, nothing more. Sharp and his following declared not to work until they were met.

The plantation owners declined.

Well...

The Jamaican slaves responded to this declination by immediately burning down an entire house on the Estate, and killing 14 White people.

Sharp was backed by The Black Regiment, a military force of about 150 slave soldiers.

The battle lasted days.

The Regiment led by Col. Johnson caused immense damage via property, livestock, and land. As they invaded new lands, they would rally the slaves they met to follow them.

Numbers reached close to 60,000 revolting slaves. The opposing forces were retreating.

However, the tides of battle would turn when Sharp's deputies were gradually killed in battle.

The opposing forces would eventually stop the rebellion in January 1832.

Killing a total of 500 slaves before, during, and after the uprising, including Sharp and the Regiment.

All was not lost, however. Hundreds of slaves fled the area and found freedom elsewhere.

Not only that, it was because of the Christmas Rebellion (and others like it) that slavery was abolished in Jamaica the following year in 1833.