An Account of Some of the Principal Slave Insurrections, and Others, Which Have Occurred, or Been A | Page 7

Charleston. In one of these, which occurred in September, they killed in
one night twenty-five whites, and burned six houses. They were
pursued, attacked, and fourteen killed. In two days, twenty more were
killed, and forty were taken, some of whom were shot, some hanged,
and some gibbeted alive! This "more exemplary" punishment, as Gov.
Gibbes called it, failed of its intended effect, for the next year there was
another insurrection in South Carolina. There were then above 40,000
slaves, and about twenty persons were killed before it was quelled.
In 1741, there was a formidable insurrection among the slaves in New
York. At that time the population consisted of 12,000 whites and 2,000
blacks. Of the conspirators, thirteen were burned alive, eighteen hung,
and eighty transported.

Those who were transported were sent to the West India Islands. As a
specimen of the persons who were suitable for transportation, I give the
following from the Boston Gazette, Aug. 17, 1761:--
"To be sold, a parcel of likely young negroes, imported from Africa,
cheap for cash. Inquire of John Avery. Also, if any person have any
negro men, strong and hearty, though not of the best moral character,
which are proper subjects for transportation, they may have an
exchange for small negroes."
In 1747, the slaves on board of a Rhode Island ship commanded by
Capt. Beers, rose, when off Cape Coast Castle, and murdered the
captain and all the crew, except the two mates, who swam ashore.
In 1754, C. Croft, Esq., of Charleston, S. C., had his buildings burned
by his female negroes, two of whom were burned alive!!
In September, 1755, Mark and Phillis, slaves, were put to death at
Cambridge, (Mass.) for poisoning their master, Mr. John Codman of
Charlestown. Mark was hanged, and Phillis burned alive! Having
ascertained that their master had, by his will, made them free at his
death, they poisoned him in order to obtain their liberty so much the
sooner.
In August, 1759, another insurrection was contemplated in Charleston,
S. C.
In October, 1761, there was a rebellion among the slaves in Kingston,
Jamaica; and in the next December, the slaves in Bermuda rebelled, and
threatened to destroy all the whites. All were engaged in the plot, which
was accidentally discovered. One was burned alive, one hanged, and
eleven condemned.
In the same year, Capt. Nichols, of Boston, lost forty of his slaves by an
insurrection, but saved his vessel.
In 1763, the Dutch settlement at Barbetias was surprised and destroyed
by the negroes.

In 1764, the slaves in Jamaica projected a rebellion, and intended to
destroy all the whites on the island.
In 1767, there was a rebellion among the slaves in Grenada.
In 1768, when Gen. Gage was in command of the British troops in
Massachusetts, one Capt. John Wilson, of the 59th regiment, made an
attempt to excite the few slaves in Boston (about 300) to rise against
their masters. He assured the slaves that the foreign troops had come to
procure their freedom, and that "with their assistance, they would be
able to drive the Liberty Boys to the devil." In October, the Selectmen
made a complaint against him; had him arrested, and bound over for
trial, but by the influence of British officials, the indictment was
quashed, and Wilson fled, satisfied that Boston would not be a safe
place for him.
In 1765, symptoms of a rebellious and insurrectionary spirit were
manifested in various parts of the thirteen colonies, then nominally at
least subjects of King George. This spirit was aroused by the passage,
by the British Parliament, of the Stamp Act on the 22d of March of that
year. As the British government were unable to enforce this Act, it was
graciously repealed on the 22d of February, 1766, but coupled with the
declaratory Act, that "the Legislature of Great Britain had authority to
bind the colonies in all cases whatsoever." On the 20th of November,
1767, the Act previously passed, imposing a duty of three pence per
pound on tea, was to take effect. From this Act, with other causes
combined, many commotions were excited anew among the people. On
the 5th of March, 1770, the Boston massacre occurred. The skirmish at
Lexington and Concord on the 19th of April, and the battle on Breed's
hill on the 17th of June, 1775, greatly increased the excitement. About
the middle of July, the year Lord Dunmore, the royal governor of
Virginia, ceased to exercise the functions of his office, having with his
wife and children, for fear of the people, taken refuge on board the
Fowey man of war. With the hope that he should succeed in reducing
the Virginians to subjection, Lord Dunmore gave out that he should
instigate the slaves, who were extremely numerous, to revolt