1793-Dec.-14: Authorities in Jamaica examined Newport Bowers, a black man suspected of participating in illicit maritime networks between Saint-Domingue and …

1793-Dec.-14: Authorities in Jamaica examined Newport Bowers, a black man suspected of participating in illicit maritime networks between Saint-Domingue and North America. Bowers, who was believed to be a resident of Baltimore, was questioned about his role in transporting information and people across the Windward Passage. His examination revealed the existence of a mobile Afro-Atlantic workforce that operated independently of white-controlled commercial channels. The Jamaican magistrates viewed such individuals as “masterless” and highly dangerous due to their ability to navigate multiple empires. This case illustrated the maritime dimension of the spread of revolutionary sentiment.