Defiance or submission? The role of the slave woman in slave resistance in the British Caribbean

Abstract

The majority of works on Caribbean slavery, both contemporary and modern attribute to slave women a subordinate and passive role in slave resistance. By examination of every‐day acts of non‐cooperation, maronage, slave uprisings and the link between African religion and slave revolts, this paper argues that, on the contrary, women were active at all levels of slave resistance and made a significant and indispensable contribution to the slaves’ struggle against servitude. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between the West African cultural heritage of slave women and the nature of their participation in slave resistance. In conclusion it is suggested that this neglected area of the slave woman's life warrants further research as a crucial aspect of the slave experience in general.