1749: Enslaved people in Caracas organized a rising after seizing upon a rumor of impending freedom following a popular uprising of coastal

1749: Enslaved people in Caracas organized a rising after seizing upon a rumor of impending freedom following a popular uprising of coastal traders. The agitation centered around Juan de Cádiz, a free black recently arrived from Spain who claimed the king had decreed the liberation of all the enslaved under Spain. Enslaved people whispered that a historic royal decree was being delivered by a new bishop sent to replace the deceased local prelate. While some waited for the arrival of the new official, others believed the spirit of the deceased bishop would deliver the decree as his final act on earth. This incident demonstrates how forceful rumors could raise expectations and advance independent interests within communities of the enslaved.