Samuel Sharpe
Samuel Sharpe (* 1801 in Montego Bay , Jamaica ; † 1832 there ) is one of the seven national heroes of Jamaica, his full title is The Right Excellent Samuel Sharpe . In 1831 he led the Christmas Riot in Montego Bay.
The son of Creole slaves was fortunate enough to learn to read and write, which made him a person of respect for the other slaves. Sharpe became a Baptist preacher , spending much time visiting plantations in Saint James Parish and building a community of faith among his fellow sufferers. He campaigned for the end of slavery.
Wrongly assuming that the British Parliament had ended slavery, he organized a strike in western Jamaica during the sugar cane harvest. At times, 60,000 people took part in the initially peaceful action.
On December 25, 1831, the actual Christmas uprising began. Some strikers began to burn fields, probably without Sharpe's knowledge. People were not attacked. The military on the island put down the uprising within two weeks. Sharpe, along with other leaders, was executed in Montego Bay in 1832 . The rebellion sparked two detailed parliamentary inquiries that helped end slavery through the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833 .
In 1975 the Jamaican Parliament declared Samuel Sharpe to be one of the island's seven official national heroes. There is a memorial at his place of execution.
literature
- Mary Reckerd: The Jamaican Slave Rebellion of 1831. Past and Present (1969)
Web links
- Information about Sam Sharpe ( October 19, 2008 memento on the Internet Archive ) on the Jamaican Ministry of Education website
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Sharpe, Samuel |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Sam |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | National hero of Jamaica, leader of the Christmas Rising in Montego Bay |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1801 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Montego Bay , Jamaica |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1832 |
| Place of death | Montego Bay , Jamaica |