1788-Apr.-25: Reports from Spanish Town, Jamaica, indicated a heightened state of alarm among the white population following news of the abolitionist movemen…

1788-Apr.-25: Reports from Spanish Town, Jamaica, indicated a heightened state of alarm among the white population following news of the abolitionist movement in London. Local officials noted that enslaved people were closely monitoring reports of the Parliamentary debates regarding the slave trade. There was a widespread fear that any perceived weakness in the imperial government would trigger a general insurrection across the island. Planters complained that the “humane” rhetoric of reformers like Wilberforce was being misinterpreted by slaves as a promise of immediate freedom. This climate of suspense forced colonial authorities to increase militia patrols and surveillance.