An Account of Some of the Principal Slave Insurrections, and Others, Which Have Occurred, or Been A | Page 6

addition to the common watch, a military force
was not only kept up, but at the breaking out of every fire, a part of the
militia were ordered out under arms to keep the slaves in order!!
The report of nineteen articles, submitted to the town of Boston, was
finally embodied in a Negro Act of fifteen sections, of which the 15th
was as follows:--
"That no Indian, negro or mullatto, upon the breaking out of fire and
the continuance thereof during the night season, shall depart from his or
her master's house, nor be found in the streets at or near the place
where the fire is, upon pain of being forthwith seized and sent to the
common gaol, and afterwards whipt, three days following before
dismist, &c."
From the N. E. Courant, Nov. 1724, I take the following extract:--
"It is well known what loss the town of Boston sustained by fire not
long since, when almost every night for a considerable time together,
some building or other and sometimes several in the same night were
either burned to the ground or some attempts made to do it. It is
likewise well known that those villanies were carried on by Negro
servants, the like whereof we never felt before from unruly servants,
nor ever heard of the like happening in any place attended with the like

circumstances."
Like causes produce like effects. Since the abolition of slavery in
Massachusetts, no one has felt alarmed at seeing "two or more colored
men lurking together" in Boston. Prior to the abolition of slavery in the
British West Indies, the militia were always called out under arms on
the Christmas holidays, in order to prevent any attempts at insurrection
among the slaves. Since that time, there has been no apprehension of
any disturbances, and, of course, no calling out of the militia.
In 1728, an insurrection of slaves occurred in Savannah, Georgia, who
were fired on twice before they fled. They had formed a plot to destroy
all the whites, and nothing prevented them but a disagreement about the
mode. At that time, the population consisted of 3000 whites and 2700
blacks.
In January, 1729, the slaves in Antigua conspired to destroy the English,
which was discovered two or three days before the intended assault. Of
the three conspirators, two were burnt alive!! "'Twas admirable," says
the account, "to see how long they stood before they died, the great
wood not readily burning, and their cry was water, water!"
In August, 1730, an insurrection of blacks occurred in Williamsburgh,
Va., occasioned by a report, on Col. Spotswood's arrival, that he had
direction from his Majesty to free all baptized persons. The negroes
improved this to a great height. Five counties were in arms pursuing
them, with orders to kill them if they did not submit.
In August, 1730, the slaves in South Carolina conspired to destroy all
the whites. This was the first open rebellion in that State, where the
negroes were actually armed and embodied, and took place on the
Sabbath.
In the same month, a negro man plundered and burned a house in
Malden, (Mass.) and gave this reason for his conduct, that his master
had sold him to a man in Salem, whom he did not like.
In 1731, Capt. George Scott, of R. I. was returning from Guinea with a

cargo of slaves, who rose upon the ship, murdered three of the crew, all
of whom soon after died, except the captain and boy.
In 1732, Capt. John Major, of Portsmouth, N. H., was murdered, with
all his crew, and the schooner and cargo seized by the slaves.
In December, 1734, Jamaica was under martial law, and two thousand
soldiers ordered out after the "rebellious negroes."
In the same year, an insurrection occurred in Burlington, (Pa.) among
the blacks, whom the account styles "intestine and inhuman enemies,
who in some places have been too much indulged." Their design was as
soon as the season was advanced, so that they could lie in the woods,
on a certain night, agreed on by some hundreds of them, and kept secret
a long time, that every negro and negress should rise at midnight, kill
every master and his sons, sparing the women, kill all the draught
horses, set all their houses and barns on fire, and secure all their saddle
horses for flight towards the Indians in the French interest.
In 1735, the slaves of the ship Dolphin, of London, on the coast of
Africa, rose upon the crew; but being overpowered, they got into the
powder room, and to be revenged, blew up themselves with the crew.
In 1739, there were three formidable insurrections of the slaves in
South Carolina--one in St. Paul's Parish, one in St. Johns, and one in