Tacky's War

Tacky's War
Part of North American slave revolts
DateMay - July, 1760
LocationColony of Jamaica
Result Slave defeat
Belligerents
Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain
Colony of Jamaica
Maroon allies		 Ashanti, Fante and Akyem Slaves
Commanders and leaders
Tacky †
North American slave revolts

Tacky's War, or Tacky's Rebellion, was an uprising of Akan (then referred to as Coromantee) slaves that occurred in Jamaica from May to July 1760. It was the most significant slave rebellion in the Caribbean between the 1733 slave insurrection on St. John and the 1791 Haitian Revolution. According to Professor Trevor Burnard: "In terms of its shock to the imperial system, only the American Revolution surpassed Tacky's War in the eighteenth century."

Planning and early life

The leader of the rebellion, Tacky (Akan spelling: Takyi), was originally from the Fante ethnic group in West Africa and had been a paramount chief in Fante land (in the Central region of present-day Ghana) before being enslaved. He, along with the Asante Queen Nanny or Nana, both planned to take over Jamaica from the British to be a separate Black country, but for themselves and not as allies.[1]

Before being a slave, he was a king of his village, he himself recalled selling his rivals of the Ashanti, Nzema and Ahanta; other Akan states, off into slavery as spoils of war to the British. But ironically, he would become a slave himself when a rival state defeated his army in battle and sold him off to Jamaica as well. According to J.A. Jones, who claimed to have met him while being held captive by Tacky while trying to get an interview with him, in his memoirs he wrote that Tacky spoke very fluent English (which was indeed common for the ruling class of Fantes at the time).[2]

Also according to Jones, he was discovered in a cave a year before the rebellion took place, planning with his comrades: Quaw(twi Yaw), Sang, Sobadou(twi Sobadu), Fula Jati and Quantee(twi Kwarteng). All except Fula Jati being of Akan descent.[2]

Rebellion

Sometime before daybreak on Monday, Tacky and his followers began the revolt and easily took over the Frontier and Trinity plantations while killing their masters. Bolstered by their easy success, they made their way to the storeroom at Fort Haldane where the munitions to defend the town of Port Maria were kept. After killing the storekeeper, Tacky and his men stole nearly 4 barrels of gunpowder and 40 firearms with shot, before marching on to overrun the plantations at Heywood Hall and Esher.[1]

By dawn, hundreds of other slaves had joined Tacky and his followers. At Ballard's Valley, the rebels stopped to rejoice in their success. One slave from Esher decided to slip away and sound the alarm.[1] Obeahmen (Caribbean witch doctors) quickly circulated around the camp dispensing a powder that they claimed would protect the men from injury in battle and loudly proclaimed that an Obeahman could not be killed. Confidence was high.[1][2]

Soon there were 70 to 80 mounted militia on their way along with some Maroons from Scott's Hall, who were bound by treaty to suppress such rebellions. When the militia learned of the Obeahman's boast of not being able to be killed, an Obeahman was captured, killed and hung with his mask, ornaments of teeth and bone and feather trimmings at a prominent place visible from the encampment of rebels. Many of the rebels, confidence shaken, returned to their plantations. Tacky and 25 or so men decided to fight on.[1]

Tacky and his men went running through the woods being chased by the Maroons and their legendary marksman, Davy. While running at full speed, Davy shot Tacky and cut off his head as evidence of his feat, for which he would be richly rewarded. Tacky's head was later displayed on a pole in Spanish Town until a follower took it down in the middle of the night. The rest of Tacky's men were found in a cave near Tacky Falls, having committed suicide rather than going back to slavery.[1]

Aftermath

The rebellion didn't end here, as other rebellions broke out all over Jamaica, which many were rightly or wrongly attributed to Tacky's cunning and strategy. It was months later until peace was restored. Over 60 white people had lost their lives as well as 400 or so black slaves, including two ringleaders who were burned alive, and two others who were hung in iron cages at the Kingston Parade, until they starved to death.[1]

Tacky Monument in Claude Stuart Park can be visited in Port Maria, St Mary. Tacky Falls is accessible by the sea but the overland route is considered by locals to be too tough to travel. The waterfalls have diminished over the years and mainly eroded rocks mark the course. The exact location of the cave where the remains of Tacky's men were found is not known.[1]

Tacky's Rebellion was, like many other Atlantic slave revolts, put down quickly and mercilessly by colonial officials. Planters severely punished rebel slaves. Other slaves learned of Tacky's revolt, which inspired unrest and disorder throughout the island. It took the local forces some weeks to re-establish order.

Akua, "Queen of Kingston"

Towards the start of the rebellion, it was discovered that slaves in Kingston had elected a female Ashanti slave named Cubah (a British misnomer of the Akan day name "Akua") the rank of 'Queen of Kingston'. Cubah (Akua) sat in state under a canopy at their meetings, wearing a robe and a crown.[3] It is unknown whether there was any direct communication between Cubah's people and Tacky's but when discovered, she was ordered to be transported from the island for conspiracy to rebel.[4] Whilst at sea, she bribed the captain of the ship to put her ashore in western Jamaica where she joined the leeward rebels and remained at large for months. On being recaptured, she was executed.[4]

Further reading

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Jamaican Culture". Jamaicans.com. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
  2. 1 2 3 Jones, James Athearn (1831), Haverill, or memoirs of an officer in the army of Wolfe (J.J & Harper), p. 199. ISBN 978-1-1595-9493-0
  3. ↑ Craton, Michael. Testing the Chains. Cornell University Press, 1982, p. 132
  4. 1 2 Craton, Michael. Testing the Chains. Cornell University Press, 1982, p. 360
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