Loading summary
Transcript1 lines
- [00:00]
Gabrielle
Thanks for listening to the Lest We Forget podcast. We'd really love your support to keep the show going for as little as a dollar monthly. Over on our patreon@patreon.com tenementyardmedia you can become a tenant and support our work of educating more people about West Indian history and sociology. That's patreon.com tenementyardmedia to pledge your monthly support or tenementyardmedia.com to make a one time donation of your choice. Thanks as always for listening. Welcome everyone to another episode of the Lest We Forget Podcast, a historical podcast by Tenement Yard Media. I'm Gabrielle, your host for this episode. To view the sources used in this episode and our recommendations to learn more about the topic, take a look at our website@tenementyardmedia.com A transcript of this episode will be available five days after it has been posted to all our podcast outlets. Also, please be sure to follow our social media pages enemyard on Instagram and Twitter. You can do this to view additional postings on this episode and updates on other content created by Tenement Yard Media. Take a look at the Yard in this episode we'll be discussing the 1795 Fedence Rebellion of Grenada. Now a quick content warning. This episode contains discussions of genocide and slavery. Now let's get into it. Before European colonization, Grenada was first inhabited by the Amerindians. The Arawak specifically were the first ones who occupied the islands, and carvings of heads and faces can still be seen in rocks from slaughters in St. Patrick, a parish in the country. After sometime around 1000 AD, the more aggressive Caribs drove the Arawaks off the island. The Caribs lived in villages of 50 or 60 families where they occupied Grenada for another 150 years to before the first Europeans arrived to exploit the region. Now, in 1498, during his third voyage to the region, Italian explorer and navigator Christopher Columbus landed in Grenada, which he called Concepthion. Still, all maps after 1523 called the Island Granada, where over time it was altered to La Grenade following French colonisation and then Grenada. When the English took control around 1592, a group of Spaniards claimed ownership to the island, but it wasn't until 1608 that some 203 Englishmen tried to colonize the island, but the Spanish Capuchin friars encouraged the Caribs to kill the English. In 1650 a wealthy Frenchman from Martinique, M. Du Parquet, decided to take up settlements in Grenada in exchange for the settlement in which he laid French ownership to the island. Du Parquet gave The Caribs. Clothes, axes, knives, glass beads, mirrors and brandy. The French then started to cultivate tobacco for export. Around 1651, after tobacco was first harvested for export, the Caribs realized they were tricked. They organized and began to attack the Frenchmen. This began three years of battling between the Europeans and the Caribs. Du Parquet's order was to push the savages to the extreme north or to drive them out of the islands altogether. The Caribs, in retaliation, brought in reinforcements from the islands of Dominica and St. Vincent, where they had over 8,000 warriors on the islands. And when the French used mass machinery to drive the Caribs into the mountains, the Caribs responded with a regional battle to arms. To every white man, death. By the end of the three year warfare, the Europeans had completed a genocide of the Carib population on the island. As the 17th century rolled around, the French, like the other European powers in the Caribbean region, took part in the Triangular slave trade to facilitate the ever expanding plantations in the region. The Triangle originated when slave ships left European shores, loaded with cheap goods and sailed to Africa, where the goods were traded for enslaved Africans. Those slave ships would then sail across the Atlantic Ocean, creating the Middle Passage, after which they would trade Africans for produce from the plantations. This produce would then be shipped to Europe. Throughout the century, millions of Africans were transported across the Atlantic. Historians estimate that around 9.5 million Africans were transported to the Americas. In 1685. Grenada, like all French colonies, would be under Le Cod Noire. The Black Code. Le Cod Noir initially took shape in Louis XIV's edict of 1685. Now, although subsequent decrees modified a few of the code's provisions, the first document established the main lines for the policing of slavery right up to 1789. The edict also insisted that all slaves be instructed as Catholics and not as Protestants. This means that all enslaved people were to be baptized and only members of the Catholic Church could own slaves. Now, the Black Code defined the condition of slavery, passing the quote unquote condition through the mother, not the father, and establishing established harsh controls over the conduct of those enslaved. Slaves had virtually no rights, though the court did enjoin masters to take care of the sick and old. But owners were obligated to provide food and clothing to enslaved people, as slaves could not earn and anything they owned was the property of slave masters. From the inception, African slaves held up resistance against white slave owners in Grenada. But this resistance was not without consequence. Punishments under Le Cod Noire were as first time runaways were subjected to having their ears cut off and the branding of their shoulder. Second time runaways would be subjected to the cutting of their buttocks and branding of shoulders. And third time runaways, they would be put to death. Still, throughout the 18th and 19th century, there were advertisements in the Grenada Chronicle for the return of runaway slaves. By the 1700s, Grenada had 525 enslaved, 257 whites and 53 colored individuals. Still, as other islands in the West Indies had a vast sugar industry, through the 17th century, Grenada not so much due to its mountainous terrain. By 1753, Grenada had 12,000 enslaved people and and the major crops of importance were tobacco, indigo and cotton. But by 1763, 10 years later, Grenada had 83 sugar estates. As the 1700s rolled by, the English and the French fought battles over the control of the different colonies in the Caribbean region. And this came head to head during the Seven Years War during the years of 1756 to 1763. During that period, Grenada was captured by the English, which was finalized through the 1763 signing of the Treaty of Paris. Now, when the British took over, they adopted the island's legislature. Them changed everything, renaming many of the towns in the area. Bastyr became St. George's Grand Pauve was St. Mark, and Grand Marquis was renamed St. Andrew. Nevertheless, despite changes in European powers, the Africans in Grenada continued to rebel. Throughout 1767, the island experienced widespread slave rebellions. To continue the exploration of Grenada, despite the African resistance, the British brought in more enslaved people. By 1774, the island was expanded, importing twice as much sugar than in 1763. Grenada then became the second leading producer of sugar in the British colonies, only behind Jamaica. As the 1770s rolled on, the American War of Independence, beginning in 1775 spilled over in the Caribbean. In 1778, a large French fleet led by Conte d'esta veered off course from fighting British fleets in the United States and set sail in the Caribbean. After taking the island of St. Vincent, the French fleet set their sights on Grenada. The British, who only had 540 men, simply could not stand against the 10,000 French troops. And thus the French captured Grenada from the British. So between the years of 1779 to 1783, Grenada was under French occupation once more. The British, though, would regain control of Grenada in 1783 through the Treaty of Versailles. In 1783, the island's population consisted of 1,125 free coloreds, made up of 185 English and 940 French persons. Of the 24,620 enslaved people on the island, 8,280 were French speaking. As such, when the British regained control of Grenada, they went about ensuring that the French had no more opportunities to retake the island. So in 1786, the British passed a law mandating all French colored individuals living in Grenada to provide information on their place of residence and claim to freedom. This was done in order to maintain the activities of French individuals living in the country and they didn't want them to be in contact with other persons in the French Caribbean. Now, in 1788, after reports started circulating of secret gatherings between enslaved and free colored peoples on the island, the British authority banned such meetings, saying that people would need special permission from two justices of the peace. The British also required that all free colored people carry a lighted lantern at all times between the hours of 9pm and 4am or they would be detained at a guardhouse until the following morning. As the 1790s began, the White elites in the country continued to crack down on the country's free coloreds. Notably, three events taking place during the 1790s were of importance and these brought on more paranoia to the white elites in the country. These three events, they were the Haitian Revolution, the French Revolution and the emancipation of slaves in Guadeloupe by Governor Victor Hugo. Still, the organizing of Africans during this period during the French Caribbean was most paramount. And one free coloured person living in grenada during the 1790s would find great inspiration in the French phrase, liberte, egalite, fraternity, liberty, equality, fraternity. His name was Julien Fadan. Now, not much is known about Julien Fadan's early life. However, in 1794 he was the owner of a house in guave and a 360 acre Belvedere estate. This estate consisted of 96 enslaved people who cultivated coffee, cocoa and sugar. His associates also included other free coloured people. Charles Nogues, a former tailor in St. George's who sold a portion of his land to Ferdan in 1790. Joaquin Philip, a free colored man from a wealthy family, where he owned a large portion of land in Caricoux and Petit Martinique, where he grew cotton. Jean Pierre Lavalette, a tailor in Sauteur Stainless Besson, a silversmith in Grenville and Jean Fedan, brother of Julien Ferdan, who was the owner of a coffee plantation in Saint John. Julien Ferdan's organizing of an uprising took headway on March 2, 1795. Occupied with about 100 other free colored people, Ferdan went about killing English white inhabitants in Grenville. Another group of free Grenadians and slaves led by Etienne von Tour and Joachim Fish. Philip captured white persons in Charlottetown or Guave. The next day, on March 3, about 40 persons were held captive and brought as prisoners to the Fedan's Belvedere estate, which now served as the headquarters of the rebellion. Among these prisoners was the Lieutenant Governor of Grenada, Nina Holmes. Fedan was able to plan this rebellion effectively. As most of the military base was around St. George's and this left other areas of the island defenseless. Fedon went about his insurgents with really little interference. Now, a day later, on March 4, Fedon requested the authority of Brenda to surrender the island's forts within two hours. He also threatened to kill persons who were up in arms against and those who refused to acknowledge the French flag, as well as killing two English prisoners for every one of his associates who were killed in combat. These conditions were also co signed by Victor Hugo and two other commissioners were appointed by the French National Convention. Now it seems they were seeking revenge for the killing of their comrades. During a recent attack on the neighbouring island of Saint Lucia, temporary commander of Grenada, Kenneth Francis Mackenzie declared martial law on the island and he sent an express boat to British forces to control the current situation. He then appealed to the insurrectionists to surrender and said they would be pardoned, but that this pardon would not apply to those guilty of murder. On March 2, MacKenzie also offered a reward of 20 Johann to those who brought in insurgents, dead or alive. But still, Ferdan wouldn't be deterred. Governor Holme, along with 43 other prisoners, signed a letter letting the British know that Fedan would kill all the prisoners if authorities made any attack on him and his comrades. Now, with this being stated, all negotiations ended between both parties and preparation for battle began. The British were backed by forces stationed in Martinique and St. Lucia and were given assistance by the Spanish governor of Trinidad, Don Jose Maria Chacon. Ferdan and his comrades, on the other hand, were backed by other colored and even French whites in Grenada. Ferdan was also backed by slaves from other plantations. By the end of March 1795, Julien Fadan had 7200 strong and the Grenadian government had close to 900. On April 7, Kenneth MacKenzie launched an attack on Ferdan at his base. But this was futile as Fadan got word of this attack and killed 48 of his 51 British prisoners. Included in the 48 was Lieutenant Governor Hum. In the following months, the British forces tried unsuccessfully to suppress Fedan's forces. The government even created an army of about 300 slaves called the Core of Loyal Black Rangers. Who they wanted to assist them in their fight against Fedan as the British troops were unfamiliar with the island's forest. Remember we said earlier that Grenada is very mountainous. However, this was ineffective. As violence continued throughout the rest of the year, Ferdan expanded his power. Due to the white population fleeing the capital of St. George's the surrounding towns were left defenceless and Fedan took advantage of this. He and his troops raided plantations and were able to sustain themselves throughout the battle. But the British faced food shortages while dealing with an outbreak of boulam fever in St George's to deal with the food shortage, £40,000 was taken from the treasury and the British government loaned the island 100,000 pounds sterling in the rebellion's expenditure. By January of 1796, Ferdan and his troops controlled most of the island which served as an inspiration for the islands of St. Vincent and St. Lucia. However, the end of the rebellion was on the horizon. Fedan's power was fiddling due to low supply of food and other necessities. In March, the British forces, backed by overseas troops launched an attack and took Post Royal in St Andrews from Ferdan. By June of that same year, Lieutenant General Ralph Abercrombie, in charge of the British forces in the West Indies, arrived in Grenada and started planning on attacking fedan's camp. On June 10, the French military surrendered nine days later. On June 19, the planned attack took place and Fadan's insurgents were defeated, captured and punished. Still, Fadan managed to evade the British forces. Although he was never captured, it is widely believed that he died at sea while escaping to Trinidad. Julien Fedan's death marked the end of the 16 month long war where hunger played a major role in the rebellion's defeat. Ferdan's closest comrades underwent trial and were sentenced to death. Others were sent to Honduras. In December of 1797, an act was brought into place to allow the governor to appoint a commission for questioning the relatives of insurgents. Persons found living on the island who the governor believed dangerous and suspicious had to leave Grenada in 10 days. Furthermore, any Grenadian resident who had left the island during Grenada's rebellion had to seek special permission to re enter the island or be labelled a vagabond. In 1797, women who were relatives of executed insurgents sought to gain entry in Grenada. However, the Governor Charles Greene, refused. Now on the issue of womanhood during the rebellion, even though no women were convicted during the proceedings, a wave of suspicion followed them in years to come. In September of 1796, the governor of the island created a committee to examine the characters and conduct of the free colored women, many of whom are lying under strong suspicion of of having taken an active part with the insurgents and rebels during the insurrection. Fearing prosecution, many women fled the island voluntarily as the committee sought to compile a list of women to be labelled Persona non grata. These legislations would further continue intense surveillance of free coloured peoples on the island. Today, Julien Faidant is honoured by many Grenadians as the island's first revolutionary. As one historian states, Fedan's legacy stands not for his defeat, but his success in organizing a powerless population, in demanding their rights and freedom from an oppressive system. He ultimately displayed to Grenadians their potential in mass organizing and seizing power from below. Almost 180 years later, after Fedon's rebellion, the mass organizing of Grenadians would once more be on display as a group of young Grenadians would put the rest of the Caribbean and the wider world on notice that Grenada is nobody's backyard. And that's it for this episode of the Lest We Forget Podcast, a historical podcast by Tenement Yard Media. I'm Gabriel. I was your host for this episode. Now remember to view the sources used in this episode and our recommendations. To learn more about the topic, visit our website at tenementyardmedia. Com. As always, thanks for listening. Stay safe.