1776: At the outbreak of the American Revolution, the population of the British colonies in the Caribbean had reached a point of extreme racial imbalance.

1776: At the outbreak of the American Revolution, the population of the British colonies in the Caribbean had reached a point of extreme racial imbalance. Censuses from this period reveal that black inhabitants vastly outnumbered white colonists on most major sugar islands. This demographic reality created a permanent state of anxiety for the planter class regarding the possibility of internal revolt. The presence of a large, mobile population of enslaved and free people of color necessitated strict social controls. The revolutionary events in North America further complicated the management of these diverse and restive populations.