1790-Jun.: By late June 1790, the audiencia at Caracas reported that knowledge of the royal decree’s contents had extended to virtually all free and enslaved…

1790-Jun.: By late June 1790, the audiencia at Caracas reported that knowledge of the royal decree’s contents had extended to virtually all free and enslaved people. Despite official efforts to maintain secrecy, the “grapevine” of the city’s black and brown inhabitants successfully disseminated the details of the king’s order. This widespread awareness kept the enslaved population in a state of expectation, leading to instances of labor refusal and direct conflict. In one case, enslaved people killed an overseer on Fernando Ascario’s plantation in the belief that the king had granted them equal status with free people. The collapse of official information control created a volatile environment where the enslaved began to act as if they were already liberated.