The Morant Bay Rebellion, which took place in Jamaica on October 11, 1865, was a reaction by freed slaves to the poverty in which they lived, worsened by natural disasters and disease. Though Britain had ended slavery in Jamaica in 1834, with full emancipation for slaves by 1838, former slaves lived in desperate straits on the island. Few could vote because of high poll taxes. Though black people outnumbered whites by a ratio of 32:1, very few black people could vote. Only about 2,000 blacks were eligible to vote out of a total black population of 436,000. In addition, farming conditions were difficult because of droughts and floods, and smallpox and cholera were endemic on the island. The sugar-based economy was doing very badly, and the price of imported goods was so high that many people practically went without clothing. Of a population of about 436,000, only 60,000 blacks had jobs.
On October 7, 1865, a black man was put on trial for trespassing, and a spectator in the trial got into an altercation with the police. Several men were arrested as a result of this altercation, including Paul Bogle, a Baptist preacher. On October 11, 1865, Bogle led a protest march to Morant Bay, and the British militia fired on the protestors, killing 7 black people. Government troops put down the rebellion, killing over 400 blacks. In addition, about 350 blacks were put on trial and executed, including Paul Bogle. Others were punished by flogging or given long prison sentences.
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