The 1831 Christmas Rebellion: Jamaica's Largest Slave Revolt

In December 1831, tens of thousands of enslaved Jamaicans rose up in what became the largest slave rebellion in British Caribbean history. Led by Samuel Sharpe, a literate enslaved Baptist deacon, the rebellion involved coordinated strikes, burnings, and armed resistance across the western parishes of Jamaica. British forces, backed by local militias, brutally suppressed the uprising within two weeks, executing hundreds and burning churches and homes. But the rebellion—and its violent suppression—had a seismic effect on the British abolitionist movement. This episode explores the events of the Baptist War, the role of missionary Christianity in fomenting resistance, the tactical delusions of the rebels, and the legacy of Sharpe, who was hanged but later became a National Hero of Jamaica. We also examine the counterpoint of Thomas Thistlewood, a notoriously sadistic slave owner whose diary reveals the everyday horrors of Jamaican plantation life. Drawing on the latest scholarship, we ask: did the Christmas Rebellion actually accelerate emancipation? #SamuelSharpe #ChristmasRebellion #BaptistWar #Jamaica #SlaveRevolt #Abolition #1831 #MontegoBay #StJamesParish #WilloughbyCotton #MarquisofSligo #ThomasThistlewood #SecondMaroonWar #Cudjoe #BritishEmpire #Slavery #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo