Many enslaved Africans fought back against their owners.
Often the resistance was passive (non-violent), aimed at disrupting and annoying their owner.
Passive resistance might include refusing to follow instructions, pretending not to understand, being late or just working slowly.
Other resistance involved the use of violence. This might mean destroying crops (for instance, by burning them), injuring animals or breaking tools.
In extreme cases, slaves would attack their owners.
One notable rebellion was the Baptist War of 1831-1832, which took place in Jamaica. This involved up to 60,000 people fighting back against their owners.
A famous figure involved in violent rebellions was Toussaint L’Ouverture in Haiti in the late 1790s.
Violence in Haiti led to huge concerns in Britain that this could spread; there were even stories about this in the Glasgow Courier, a pro-slavery newspaper.
Others would rebel by running away. Often this was only done for a short period, to give a sense of freedom, although some did manage to fully escape.
One notable group of escapees was the Maroons in Jamaica. The Maroons (meaning ‘mountain people’) lived in the mountains and sometimes took part in violent rebellions too.
Hunters were hired to track down missing slaves or adverts posted to describe the runaway.
Of course enslaved people that engaged in resistance and rebellion faced the prospect of punishments. This could range from whipping up to (in extreme cases) being killed.
Scotland and Atlantic Slavery 