1791-Nov.-12: News of a slave uprising in Dominica reached the surrounding British and French islands, causing a state of profound alarm among the local colo…
1791-Nov.-12: News of a slave uprising in Dominica reached the surrounding British and French islands, causing a state of profound alarm among the local colonial governments. Enslaved people in Dominica had been emboldened by rumors of a “royal decree” from the King of England granting them freedom, a phenomenon Scott identifies as a central feature of the Caribbean grapevine. The uprising was fueled by the mobility of free people of color and sailors who carried reports of the French Revolution’s egalitarian promises. Although the revolt was eventually suppressed by British forces, it demonstrated the extreme fragility of colonial control during the Age of Revolution. This entry highlights the interconnectedness of revolutionary sentiment across the Lesser Antilles.