1789-Nov.: The Jamaica House of Assembly petitioned London to apply diplomatic pressure against Spanish officials who protected eloping slaves.

1789-Nov.: The Jamaica House of Assembly petitioned London to apply diplomatic pressure against Spanish officials who protected eloping slaves. Simultaneously, the Assembly discovered a conspiracy among a large number of negroes planning to desert the island for Cuba. To prevent these escapes, a local law was passed restricting the size of canoes to no more than fourteen feet in length. This measure was intended to make “adventuring” at sea hazardous while still allowing for basic fishing activities. Such desperate local solutions reflected the mounting anxiety over the loss of valuable human property to foreign sanctuaries.