1791-Jun.-06: Jamaican officials in Kingston observed an “air of insolence” among the city’s black population following the arrival of a report regarding the…

1791-Jun.-06: Jamaican officials in Kingston observed an “air of insolence” among the city’s black population following the arrival of a report regarding the abolition of the slave trade. A premature account suggested that the British Parliament had finally voted to end the traffic in human beings. This news sparked visible excitement and a shift in behavior among the enslaved, who interpreted it as a step toward general emancipation. The reaction terrified the white minority, who feared the loss of social control and the potential for a general uprising. This event underscored the speed with which political developments in London reached the ears of the Caribbean unfree.