The 1831 Christmas Rebellion: Jamaica's Largest Slave Revolt

In December 1831, the largest slave rebellion in Jamaica's history erupted across the western parishes, led by a Baptist deacon named Samuel Sharpe. This episode follows the planning, the burning of estates, the brutal military response, and the trial that sent Sharpe to the gallows. We explore how the rebellion was fueled by rumors of emancipation, the role of Christian missionaries, and the complex figure of Sharpe himself—an enslaved man who was literate, respected, and willing to die for freedom. The rebellion's aftermath accelerated the abolition of slavery across the British Empire. We discuss the destruction of over 200 properties, the execution of hundreds, and the parliamentary debates that followed. Names include: Samuel Sharpe, Sir Willoughby Cotton, Marquis of Sligo, Thomas Thistlewood's plantation, and the Second Maroon War context. The episode also touches on the controversial question of whether Sharpe was a martyr or a pragmatist, and how his legacy is remembered in modern Jamaica. #SamuelSharpe #ChristmasRebellion #Jamaica #1831 #BaptistWar #Slavery #Abolition #Emancipation #MontegoBay #StJamesParish #WilloughbyCotton #MarquisofSligo #BaptistMissionaries #Martyrdom #CaribbeanHistory #BritishEmpire #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo