1790-May: In early May 1790, white residents in Caracas were alarmed to find menacing posters in public places demanding the enforcement of the unpublished r…

1790-May: In early May 1790, white residents in Caracas were alarmed to find menacing posters in public places demanding the enforcement of the unpublished royal code. The posters explicitly warned that local slaves were aware of the decree’s existence and that force might be used to secure their rights. A rough drawing accompanying the text depicted a dark-skinned man with a raised machete appearing about to kill a white man. This startling discovery led colonial officials to convene emergency meetings to address the growing threat of sedition in the capital. The incident underscored the difficulty of containing revolutionary intelligence within a mobile and increasingly aware urban population.