Consequences

• Consequences of the 1816 Rebellion:

  • Freed coloured were given the right to give evidence against whites in court
  • Martial Law was in place from Easter Monday until July 12, 1816, giving the militia the power to kill blacks to suppress the fighting
  • Many Blacks were killed in battle, leading to reduced plantation labor force and challenges in replacing those killed during fighting or as punishment
  • 25% of the year’s sugar crop was burnt, forcing planters to export less sugar to Europe and make less money, impacting plantation productivity
  • The rebellion was used by anti-slavery activists to intensify their fight against slavery, leading to the end of slavery in the British Empire in 1838
• The freed coloured were given the right to give evidence against whites in court.
• Martial Law was put in place from Easter Monday until July 12, 1816. This gave the militiary the power to kill blacks in order to suppress the fighting.
• Many Blacks were killed in battle. This meant that plantations were left with a reduced labour force and in many instances, it was difficult for planters to easily and quickly replace those who were killed either during the fighting or as a punishment.
• 25% of the year’s sugar crop was burnt. This meant that planters were forced to export a reduced amount of sugar to Europe and they therefore made less money than expected. This made it difficult for them to supply all that was needed to make their plantations fully productive.
• This rebellion was used by anti-slavery activists to intensify their fight against slavery. Slavery in the British Empire came to an end in 1838. The anti-slavery activists argued that the 1816 Rebellion proved that unless the slaves were legally freed, they would continue to fight for their freedom, and the more they fought, the less money the planters would make. Therefore freeing them was the only alternative.