9 September 1739: Stono rebellion

0:00On this damn work in class history, the 9th of September. On the 9th of September 1739, the Stono Rebellion began in South Carolina, the largest uprising of enslaved people in the mainland British colonies. A litter in slave man named either Jimmy or Kato marched with 22 others, mostly from Central Africa, brandishing a banner that decked with the word liberty and attacked a store, seizing weapons and ammunition. They planned to head to Thorida, where Spanish colonial authorities offered escaped enslaved people freedom in an effort to undermine British rule. On their way, they burned plantations, freed other enslaved people and killed whites, until a well-armed mounted militia arrived and attacked. Other rebels managed to kill 23 militiamen, they lost 47 of their own number, who had

1:00their severed heads displayed on stakes, to serve as a warning to others. Many of those who escaped were later captured at an executed or sold to enslavers in the Caribbean. In response to the rebellion, authorities enacted strict laws to try to prevent a recurrence. On the one hand, they banned enslaved people from assembling in groups and learning to read, and on the other hand, they prohibited imputation of enslaved people from Africa for 10 years, and they brought in penalties for enslavers who overworked or were excessively brutal to those whom they had enslaved. The sources, maps and all about anniversaries each day, check out the on-this-day section of our stories at atstories.workinclosshistory.com, and if you value our work, support us at patreon.com. Slashworkinclosshistory. Links in the show notes. The music by D'Acardo Arreo. See you tomorrow.