Morant Bay: The End of an Era

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the upheaval in Morant Bay. The Morant Bay uprising, its brutal repression, and the reaction to those events in England and the colonies brought into focus the great divisions, animosities, and anxieties that pervaded West Indian society and affected British attitudes towards the Caribbean colonies during the 30 years after the emancipation. Though the Morant Bay rebellion was confined to one district in Jamaica, its implications resounded and were deeply felt throughout the West Indies colonies. Though great changes were forwarded in the West Indies, such as the abolition of slavery and the eradication of the routine brutality of slavery, the conditions that continued to breed brutality remained within the vestiges of the colonies. The uprising of the blacks in 1865 and its aftermath served as a monument for human frailty and frustration. The uprising showed the cultural divisions and the persistent racial distinction that fostered division rather than coherence. Although the conflicts within the British colonies were brought into light during the crisis of 1865, most of them remained unresolved. Nevertheless, the catharsis of Morant Bay constituted a major watershed in the history of the Caribbean colonies.