BY: NATASHA GREGG

THE THIRD SLAVE REBELLION –

Unarguably, the slave trade had a remarkable effect on the demographics of Barbados, in that as early as 1685, the white population was completely outnumbered by the slave population by approximately 4 to 1. This racial disproportion created an unnerving and fearful environment for the white plantation owners, as they increasing feared the potential for slave revolts. Thus, the colonial powers’ strengthening and harsher implementation of black (slave) codes. These codes had been in place since as early as 1661 to regulate the behavior of slave. The reinforcement of these laws created one of the most tyrannical and oppressive political and economic structures in the Caribbean colonies. The repressiveness of such laws forced many slaves to want to escape plantation life, hence, the colony’s three slave rebellions in the 17th century, prior to the famed Bussa’s Rebellion. The third rebellion occurred in 1692 and was the most intriguing one of them all, in terms of its goals. The Third Slave Rebellion was an island-wide effort, in which the rebels’ fight for freedom included killing the Governor and the plantation owners, destroying the government and instituting their own Governor and government. Their plans were discovered and approximately 200 to 300 slaves were arrested and 93 executed.