Bussa's rebellion

"Bussa" redirects here. For other uses, see Bussa (disambiguation).
This article is about the 1816 revolt in Barbados. For the 1915 revolt in Nigeria, see Bussa rebellion.

Bussa's Rebellion
Part of North American slave revolts

Sketch of a flag used by the Bussa rebels including the slogan "Happiness Remains for Ever with endeavourance... Britannia are happy to lead any such Sons as endeavourance and God Always saves endeavour" [sic]
Date14–16 April 1816
Location
Barbados (Mostly St. Philip Parish)
Result British Victory
Belligerents

British Empire British Empire

Rebelling Slaves
Commanders and leaders
 Bussa †
Strength
  • 800 soldiers[1]
  • 3 cannons
 ~400 (actively fighting)[2] ~5,000 (total rebelling)
Casualties and losses
  • 1 soldier killed
  • 1 civilian killed
  • 50 killed in battle
  • 214 executed
  • 170 exiled
  • many mutilated
Part of a series on
North American slave revolts
Attack and capture of the Crête-à-Pierrot (Combat et prise de la Crête-à-Pierrot, March 1802) in the Haitian Revolution by Auguste Raffet, engraving by Ernest Hébert
Context
Before 1700

(Santo Domingo)

(Spanish Florida, victorious)

(Real Audiencia of Panama, New Spain, suppressed)

(Veracruz, New Spain, victorious)

(New Spain, suppressed)

(New Spain, suppressed)

(Santa Fe de Nuevo México, New Spain, victorious)
18th century

(British Province of New York, suppressed)

(British Jamaica, victorious)

(British Chesapeake Colonies, suppressed)

(Louisiana, New France, suppressed)

(Danish Saint John, suppressed)

(British Province of South Carolina, suppressed)

(British Province of New York, suppressed)

(British Jamaica, suppressed)

(British Montserrat, suppressed)

(British Bahamas, suppressed)

(Louisiana, New Spain, suppressed)

(Louisiana, New Spain, suppressed)

(Dutch Curaçao, suppressed)

(French Saint-Domingue, victorious)
19th century

(Virginia, suppressed)

(St. Simons Island, Georgia, victorious)

(Virginia, suppressed)

(Territory of Orleans, suppressed)

(Spanish Cuba, suppressed)

(Virginia, suppressed)

(British Barbados, suppressed)

(South Carolina, suppressed)

(Cuba, suppressed)

(Virginia, suppressed)

(British Jamaica, suppressed)

(off the Cuban coast, victorious)

  • 1841 Creole case, ship rebellion

(off the Southern U.S. coast, victorious)

(Indian Territory, suppressed)

(Spanish Cuba, suppressed)

(South Carolina, suppressed)

(Virginia, suppressed)
Notable leaders

Bussa's rebellion (14–16 April 1816) was the largest slave revolt in Barbadian history. The rebellion takes its name from the African-born slave, Bussa, who led the rebellion. The rebellion, which was eventually defeated by the colonial militia, was the first of three mass slave rebellions in the British West Indies that shook public faith in slavery in the years leading up to the abolition of slavery in the British Empire and emancipation of former slaves. It was followed by the Demerara rebellion of 1823 and by the Baptist War in Jamaica in 1831–1832; these are often referred to as the "late slave rebellions".

  1. ^ The National Archives. "Bussa's rebellion". Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  2. ^ "The Emancipation Wars", National Library of Jamaica