1791-Nov.-18: An extract of a letter from Kingston, Jamaica, described the “dreadful” state of the colony as news of the Saint-Domingue uprising became commo…

1791-Nov.-18: An extract of a letter from Kingston, Jamaica, described the “dreadful” state of the colony as news of the Saint-Domingue uprising became common knowledge. The writer noted that the black population showed an intense and accurately informed interest in the success of the rebels. There was a prevailing fear that the “spark of rebellion” would be carried to Jamaica by French refugees or sailors. The letter emphasized that the traditional distance between enslaver and enslaved had been significantly reduced by the shared awareness of the revolution. This document highlighted the psychological impact of the Haitian Revolution on the British enslavers.