There is something that is often not talked about in American history, something that helps answer the age old question of if slavery was so terrible, why didn’t the slaves ever revolt? The short answer is, they most certainly did. Between 1650 and 1775, over two hundred slave revolts occurred in the Thirteen Colonies, some large involving slaves across multiple counties, and some small, including only a handful of slaves on a single plantation. Some were plots which involved months of planning, while others were spur of the moment affairs, lit by sparks of a single action fanned into flames by a lifetime of indignities. Unfortunately, these revolts have largely been expunged from history, evidence of them only existing in the remains of local newspapers, personal diaries, and other such sources, conveniently forgotten to aid in the myth of an antebellum south which never existed.
It shouldn’t really be that much of a surprise that such things were not widely talked about. Slave revolts were undoubtedly one of the greatest fears of slave owners, perhaps one of the few shreds of evidence that those perpetrating such crimes against humanity had at least some awareness that what they were doing was wrong. Why else would they be so afraid of what might happen if they even gave an inch? How could they not be frightened of someone treating them and their oved ones in a similar fashion as they had treated others? This fear was only heightened in areas where slaves made up a significant portion of the population. When revolts took place, or plots were discovered, those involved were given the harshest of punishments. The least of these was shipment to the Caribbean. It was well known amongst most slaves in the Thirteen Colonies of the backbreaking labor which awaited any who were unlucky enough to be sent to the warm green islands. More harsh punishments included hangings, beheadings, and being burned alive, most often with other slaves watching.
A planned slave revolt was not an easy thing to carry off. First was the problem of communication, especially between different plantations and farms. Why some communication may take place at public events, such as a funeral, or during the course of carrying out their master’s business, as time went on this became increasingly difficult as laws and custom encouraged slave owners to avoid creating or allowing such opportunities. The second was the problem of betrayal. Numerous slave revolts died in the cradle, betrayed by slaves who were given either special privileges or at times even their freedom. The more people involved, the more likely such betrayals would take place. Even if revolts were carried out, whether via planning or the spur of the moment, their effectiveness was limited. Though some revolts successfully managed to kill handfuls of people and burn several plantations, they were never as well equipped as the colonial militias which quickly moved to stamp them out. If not immediately wiped out, most revolting slaves ended up in the wilderness, acting as bandits to survive, while others attempted to flee to French Canada or Spanish Florida, areas which allowed slavery but had declared themselves safe for escaping slaves just to fuck with the British. Few attempts were successful in either endeavor.
Though little discussed, the numerous slave revolts did have a significant affect on the Thirteen Colonies. For example, early revolts often included not just slaves, but also indentured servants and transported convicts. As a result, the colonial assemblies passed laws giving more rights to indentured servants and limiting the transportation of convicts for a time. As well, several widespread conspiracies covering several counties led to new laws which limited the movement, education, and assembly of not just slaves, but also freed Africans, the latter of whom were few in number, but looked at distrustfully by the broader colonial society. Perhaps one of the biggest results of the revolts was the shift towards home grown slaves rather than those imported in the latter half of the eighteenth century. Often slave revolts were led by groups of slaves freshly imported from Africa, people who knew what they were experiencing was in no way okay. In comparison, for those born into slavery in the Thirteen Colonies, having never experienced any other type of life, it was normal. Due to this, slave owners began to focus more on forced breeding to ensure as many children were born as possible, with it becoming the primary business for many slave owners over time.
Due to the above measures, over time the overall number of slave revolts dropped, though they never fully ceased. However, even as the revolts became less common, other types of resistance rose to take their place. The relationship between slave and slave owner was a strange one, kept separate by the power dynamics involved, but also strangely intimate due to the close nature of the work being done. Many slaves were put in positions of trust, loyalty assured by the granting of special privileges. As with any system of oppression, many slaves worked against their own brethren to assure they retained such privileges, but not all. Others exploited the trust given to them via poisonings or arson. Such acts were an assured route to a painful execution, but still they occurred. No matter what was done to suppress them, thoughts of freedom were never fully stamped out.
