16 Questions
What was the primary purpose of the Virgin Islands' enslaved code of 1783?
To regulate the movement and behavior of enslaved persons
What form of resistance involved the deliberate damage of equipment?
Passive resistance
What was a consequence of being in possession of guns or weapons for enslaved persons?
Punishment
What term refers to the defiance of authority or any force used to control a person?
Rebellion
What is an example of active resistance?
Using deliberate actions to bring about change
What was a trusted position on a plantation?
Cook
What is an example of passive resistance?
Slowing down work
What was a consequence of informing on conspirators?
Reward
What feature of the Virgin Islands made it difficult for maroon societies to develop?
Harsh terrain
What skill did individuals who joined maroon societies need to develop?
Defense skills in guerilla warfare
What was the primary purpose of having guards patrol at night in Road Town?
To prevent enslaved persons from escaping
What was the consequence of an enslaved person being caught circulating the public streets after 9 p.m. without written permission?
Imprisonment and twenty lashes
Why did planters send regular petitions to London?
To complain about the problem of maritime marronage
What was the purpose of the Act of 1787?
To require a European watchman on every fishing boat or cable
How did enslaved persons use the boats they manned for their masters?
To make a break for Puerto Rico
What was a way enslaved persons secretly prepared for maritime marronage?
Building canoes large enough to accommodate whole families
Study Notes
Types of Resistance
- Active resistance: deliberate actions, sometimes violent, to bring about or force change
- Passive resistance: non-violent methods to resist or disobey
- Rebellion: defiance of authority or force used to control a person
- Insurrection: rebellion against the government, often involving armed conflict
- Resistance: actions demonstrating refusal to accept or comply with something
Enslavement in the Virgin Islands
- Enslavement was maintained through the use or threat of violence as punishment
- The 1783 enslaved code prohibited unauthorized movement, congregation, and possession of weapons
- Harsh punishments were inflicted for violence against Europeans, while informants were rewarded
- Despite harsh punishment, enslaved persons continued to resist
Forms of Resistance
- Day-to-day resistance (passive resistance): poisoning, damaging equipment, slowing down work, and mutilation
- Rebellions or active resistance: burning down plantations, revolts, and murdering Europeans
- Marronage or running away: individual or group escape from enslavement
Maritime Marronage in the Virgin Islands
- The dominant form of resistance in the Virgin Islands
- Enslaved individuals used their knowledge of surrounding waters to escape to Puerto Rico
- Creoles built canoes or forced sailors to take them to Puerto Rico
- This form of resistance created problems for planters, leading to regular petitions to London
- Planters attempted to limit the problem of runaway persons by patrolling streets at night and mandating European watchmen on fishing boats
Explore the different forms of resistance, including active, passive, rebellion, and insurrection, as well as the history of enslavement in the Virgin Islands.
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