1782: Jamaica’s Grand Jury of the Quarter Sessions expressed alarm at the “multitude” of people of color from Curaçao and other foreign territories settling …

1782: Jamaica’s Grand Jury of the Quarter Sessions expressed alarm at the “multitude” of people of color from Curaçao and other foreign territories settling in Kingston. To maintain security, the Jury proposed that these foreign individuals be required to carry identification tickets or wear a label around their necks describing their status. They also recommended that captains of foreign ships post bonds to ensure they would depart with the same passengers they brought into port. This proposal reflects the growing white anxiety regarding the unregulated mobility of free nonwhites across the Caribbean.