1791-Nov.: A massive gathering of approximately 3,000 enslaved people took place in Jamaica’s Westmoreland parish to celebrate William Wilberforce’s birthday.

1791-Nov.: A massive gathering of approximately 3,000 enslaved people took place in Jamaica’s Westmoreland parish to celebrate William Wilberforce’s birthday. Those assembled ate and drank in an area located far from where regular British troops were stationed. This event demonstrated how the intentions of metropolitan reformers were often interpreted by the enslaved as a sign of impending liberation. White colonists viewed the celebration as alarming evidence that political news from England was reaching the interior of the island. The Assembly cited such incidents to argue that parliamentary deliberations were inciting a spirit of mutiny among the laborers.