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1878 St. Croix Labor Riot
The 1878 St. Croix labor riot, locally also known as Fireburn, was a labor riot on Saint Croix, one of the Virgin Islands, then part of the Danish West Indies. The revolt started on October 1, 1878 and was suppressed after several days of looting and burning. Among the leaders were several women – Mary Thomas (labor leader), "Queen Mary" Thomas, "Queen Agnes" Salomon, and "Queen Mathilda" McBean – who became known as "Queens of the Fireburn". Events leading up to the riot In July 1848, the slaves of Danish West Indies staged a protest and gained their freedom. For many laborers this freedom would be short-lived, as plantation owners quickly began devising new regulations. The now free laborers were forced, by law, to sign contracts which bound them and their families to the plantations on which they worked. By signing these contracts, the laborers became debt peonage, debt peons slaves again, in all but name. Contract Day In October 1878, laborers gathered in Frederiksted to dem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Danish West Indies
The Danish West Indies ( da, Dansk Vestindien) or Danish Antilles or Danish Virgin Islands were a Danish colonization of the Americas, Danish colony in the Caribbean, consisting of the islands of Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas with ; Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saint John ( da, St. Jan) with ; and Saint Croix with . The islands have belonged to the United States since they were Treaty of the Danish West Indies, purchased in 1917. Water Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, Water Island was part of the Danish West Indies until 1905, when the Danish state sold it to the East Asiatic Company, a private shipping company. The Danish West India Company, Danish West India-Guinea Company annexed uninhabited St. Thomas in 1672; annexed St. John in 1718; and bought St. Croix from France (King Louis XIV) on June 28, 1733. When the Danish West India-Guinea Company went bankruptcy, bankrupt in 1754, Frederik V of Denmark, King Frederik V of Denmark–Norway assumed direct cont ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
