Talk:Slavery in Belize
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Slave Resistance and Revolts in Belize
[edit]Everyday Slave Resistance Some ways of slave resistance includes:
Work Slowdowns and breaking their masters’ equipment and materials.
Faking illness and injuries
Ignoring their masters' orders
Poisoning their masters
The enslaved cut off their own body parts to prevent themselves from working
The Enslaved faced Punishments
Punishments for Breaking the Laws: The enslaved ‘Jumper’- an enslaved person who is hired to do the whipping. They can get whipped as much as 100 times for breaking the laws.
They can be imprisoned for as many years as the judge sees fit.
They can be hanged, tied up and abused as much as possible.
Escaping through the Woods: Runways!
A lot of the enslaved took the big risk of escaping slavery through the woods of Belize.
They found safe-haven and protection from the neighboring countries of Guatemala and Mexico.
The British Colonial Masters were very scared of losing everything to the Runaway slaves.
Major Slave Revolts in Belize 1765
1768-
1773- One of the major revolts that resulted in the death of 6 British men and lasted for five months!
August 1, 1834 : Emancipation(Freedom ) Day for the Enslaved 1838: Freedom with strings attached
Apprenticeship (1834-1838) It was a system of transition for former slaves and their former owners.
The ex-slaves or “apprentices”, had to work for 40 hrs per week and adhere to their masters’ rules.
As incentives, some of the “ apprentices” were paid wages and given other incentives in order to maintain their employers’ logwood business.
What was the situation after the end of emancipation? The Exlsave’s Dilemma
The ex-slave’s dilemma :
1. ‘Should I stay or Go ?’ - Many ran across the border to the newly form neighboring republics.
2. a) Many ex-slaves misunderstood the Emancipation Act, believing it meant they were no longer obligated to work for their former masters after 1834.
(b) Additionally, they held the expectation of receiving compensation for the mental and physical trauma endured during their enslavement
What was the situation after the end of Emancipation ? The Employer’s Dilemma
The employer(logwood owner) feared that many of the freedmen and freedwomen would rather engage in subsistence farming instead of continuing to work in the logwood industry.
Labour shortage: low population and workers absconding to neighboring territories.
What can be done to stop this? Labour ,Land Laws Advance System and the Truck System.
LAND LAWS
In 1838, strict orders from London were sent ,stating a fixed price will be placed on land, effectively banning or making land unattainable for the freed people .
WHY? The colonial masters believed that giving land to the freemen would discourage them from working for their employers.Therefore , effectively, if the slaves wanted to survive, they had to continue to work and depend on their employers!
LABOUR LAWS Laws put in placed in British colonies to bound(tie ) ex-slaves to their employers. An ex-slave(apprentice) had to work for their employer for anywhere between six months to six years before they can earn their freedom. If an apprentice disobeys, he/she can be sent to jail or publicly whipped.
Apprentices often had restriction on their movements, restricted from engaging in economic activities without permission from their masters and even restricted from seeking other employments.
How are these laws similar to those that slaves had to endure during slavery?
The Advance System
The advance system was another form of control over the workers in Belize. Logwood owners would provide their workers with provision, food and clothing way in advance with the hope that the workers will repay advances through labor.
Most of it was paid during Christmas time in Belize town and it was to provide for the worker’s family while he was at logwood camps.
Why?This system bounded workers to their employers from anywhere between 6-12 months.
The Truck System
Also known as the truck and barter system is where workers had to take a portion of their wages and exchanged it for food, goods and materials from their employer’s stores.
Why? This law was passed so that employers still had a form of control over their workers survival. Employers intentionally changed the rules so that the workers become indebted to them.
These laws, with few adjustments, remained in law until 1943! Basically, workers were paid the same wages and living in the same condition less than a hundred years ago!
Why did apprenticeship end?
What factors led to the early end of apprenticeship in Belize?
Workers protested and refused to work! Also, emancipationist groups in London were putting pressure on parliament to finally and unconditionally free those people.