1789-Dec.-12: During a tense meeting of the Caracas cabildo, testimony surfaced that enslaved people were openly challenging and threatening those who cla

1789-Dec.-12: During a tense meeting of the Caracas cabildo, testimony surfaced that enslaved people were openly challenging and threatening those who claimed to own them. These individuals cited specific chapters of the rumored royal decree to demand a shorter workday and regular periods of rest. Enslavers were startled to find that their workers seemed to possess accurate advance knowledge of the regulations the wealthy were attempting to suppress. The city’s black and brown communities were identified as the primary sources of these reports, which they used to assert their humanity. This boldness demonstrated that even a secret decree could become a powerful tool for resistance in the hands of the enslaved.