Stono Rebellion

Stono Rebellion

The Stono Rebellion of 1793 was the largest uprising of African slaves on the mainland of North America during the colonial period. It began when nigh 20 slaves, probable first-generation Africans, attacked a local store nigh 15 miles southwest of Charles Town, South Carolina, too secured guns, powder, too other weapons.

Throughout the encounter, the slaves demonstrated a familiarity with armed forces tactics, learned from armed forces grooming inwards Africa. After all of the slaves had been killed or captured past times the militia, South Carolina regime instituted draconian measures inwards an attempt to command the dark bulk inwards the colony.

Despite the apparent success inwards suppressing the rebellion, a grave too oft unwarranted fright of slaves conspiring to kill their masters too escape from bondage would persist alongside white South Carolinians throughout the colonial too antebellum periods.


The uprising began early sun morning, nine September 1739. The slaves surprised too killed local storekeepers too and therefore began attacking whites who lived inwards the surrounding countryside, equally they slow made their agency toward the Castilian fort at St. Augustine, Florida. The slaves believed they would have liberty too sanctuary from the Spanish, who had long encouraged runaway slaves from the British colonies.

In a fateful coincidence, the rebels encountered the mounted political party of Lieutenant Governor William Bull, Sr., too his entourage. The lieutenant governor too his political party evaded capture too made their agency on horseback to audio the alarm. Meanwhile, the rebellious slaves, flushed with both their success too seized liquor, encamped.

They raised a banner too shell drums inwards an attempt to attract to a greater extent than slaves to their revolt too past times afternoon, their numbers had increased to betwixt lx too i hundred. At the same time, the white militia had mustered too embarked for the African camp.

Possessing superior numbers, training, too firepower, the militia overwhelmed the slaves inwards a brief, tearing fight. About a dozen of the rebels were killed past times the get-go volley too most of the residue were caught piece others fled into the countryside.

The escapees were pursued for a calendar week earlier a large grouping of them was caught too killed thirty miles due south of the original struggle. Others managed to evade capture for months too i slave was captured to a greater extent than than 2 years afterwards the uprising. Most of those captured were interrogated, tried, too summarily executed.

The Stono Rebellion generated considerable conspiracy-minded hysteria inwards South Carolina. More than 20 whites had been killed with relative rest during the uprising. The slaves had acted inwards a agency that demonstrated prior planning too discussion, too without Lieutenant Governor Bull’s conduct chances run across with the rebels, the destruction to the colony could bring been far worse. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 province of emergency prevailed inwards Stono through the winter, equally fears remained elevated too the white colonists passed rumors of farther revolts.

In the aftermath of the uprising, South Carolina took several steps inwards an attempt to command its African majority. The get-go was a stronger too to a greater extent than regular organisation of patrols, greatly expanding the ability of the militia.

In the jump of 1740, a thorough revision of the colony’s slave codes was enacted. Slaves would instantly live on held equally personal chattel, enabling stricter command over humans held equally property.

Furthermore, prohibitions on slave assemblies too gatherings, on instruction Africans to write, too on possessing liquor were all reinforced. However, the novel slave code also mandated that masters render their slaves with adequate article of apparel too prohibited masters from requiring operate on Sundays.

In an attempt to trammel the break of Africans entering the colony, specially because it was believed that late arrived slaves had led the rebellion, a duty of £100 was enacted for each novel African imported during the side past times side iii years. It was hoped that this duty would sharply cut back the break of blacks entering the colony too assistance the colony to accomplish a white bulk population.

Despite these efforts, South Carolina had picayune success inwards attracting white settlers to the colony. The dark bulk persisted too legislative efforts to curtail the activities of dark slaves largely failed.

The Stono Rebellion remains the bloodiest known conspiracy of African slaves inwards North America. In the eyes of whites living inwards South Carolina too other colonies with meaning enslaved populations, it highlighted what could come about if the vigilant command of blacks was relaxed, too fueled a conspiracy-minded fright of time to come slave uprisings.