A historical perspective of Emancipation Day in Belize

A Historical Perspective of Emancipation Day on the Occasion of the 

185th Anniversary of Emancipation in Belize

by Rolando Cocom

Today, we gather to commemorate the 185th Anniversary of Emancipation in Belize. On this occasion, let us pay homage to the indigenous peoples who occupied this region for thousands of years before us, their presence and legacy are deeply woven into the fabric of Belize and our region. 

We pay tribute to Belize’s Creole and Garinagu populations, whose African ancestors, uprooted from Mother Africa, endured unspeakable suffering. I give thanks to the leaders, allies, and brave men and women of those times, as well as those of today and tomorrow, whose actions, oral traditions, writings, and research have forged the path to Emancipation Day.

As we delve into our past today, let's contemplate the immense struggle for emancipation.  My address this morning seeks to convey this central message: enslavement in Belize was abolished by the actions at the top as much as from the bottom, through the actions of resistance by enslaved Africans.

When Europeans set foot in the “New World,” a violent chapter was set in motion. War, genocide, epidemics, and exploitation led to the destruction of indigenous peoples and the forced labor of African and indigenous peoples. These injustices were the grim underpinnings of today’s global economy.

From the onset of the 1700s, records reveal the presence of enslaved Africans in Belize. They were coerced into laborious tasks of timber extraction, initially focusing on logwood and, over time, shifting predominantly to mahogany. The census records indicate that from the 1770s until the abolition of enslavement on August 1, 1838, an average of 2,500 enslaved Africans labored annually in the forests of Belize. And despite being subjected to harsh conditions, these individuals regularly comprised more than 60% of the population and produced extraordinary amounts of timber exports and wealth for the enslavers and the colonial empire.

Throughout this period, acts of oppression, subversion, and resistance painted a complex picture of life under bondage and the process of emancipation. From daring and consistent escapes into the forest to outright revolts, the enslaved Africans in Belize continuously threatened the stability of the institution of slavery. 

On the surface of colonial writings, Belize was said to be a place where slavery seemed to exist only in name, but a closer reading shows that enslavement in Belize was always under threat. Belize witnessed four recorded revolts in 1765, 1768, 1773, and 1820. 

According to historian O. Nigel Bolland, “The last slave revolt in Belize occurred in 1820 on the Belize and Sibun rivers. Superintendent Arthur reported that the settlers were ‘earnestly praying for immediate protection’ because a ‘considerable number of slaves had formed themselves into a body in the Belize River, and being well armed, and having already committed various depredations the most serious consequences were to be apprehended.’… On 3 May, about ten days after the revolt began, Arthur offered rewards for the apprehension of two black slaves, Will and Sharper…” (Bolland, 2003, p. 71). 

These uprisings shook the foundations of colonial authority. The repeated unrest led colonial overseers to constantly question the loyalty of enslaved Africans, to the point where the very existence of the settlement was deemed precarious. Indeed, these insurgencies were clear demonstrations of the enslaved Africans' unyielding desire for freedom, consistently challenging the status quo and putting the colonial establishment on notice.

We must remember the bravery of women like Quasheba, Lizzy, Monimia, Bes, and Peggy, who endured unimaginable cruelties yet had the courage to demand justice. Their abuses and presence in Belize’s courtrooms triggered debates on the injustice of slavery that echoed throughout the corridors of power, all the way to the House of Commons in London.  

Due to time let me only emphasize how one of theses, that of Quasheba's case in 1816 which was brought up in 1823 by parliamentarian Thomas Fowell Buxton, during his motion to abolish slavery. Buxton cited in detail, the account of a witness who saw Quasheba punished in her enslaver’s property, Mr. Carty's yard. The witness said, “I saw the girl Quasheba tied in Mr. Carty's yard; she was quite naked, and tied with her hands to her legs, and a stick run under the bend of the knees and above the bend of the arms he was flogging her” (Substance of the Debate, 1823, p. 111). In this compromising and defenseless state, she was being flogged mercilessly throughout the day.

Thomas Buxton went on to argue that the verdict and charges issued to Mr. Carty for his cruel treatment were not fair and that idea that slavery existed only in name in Belize was a lie. He further stated, “Let no man imagine that this case of Carty is one of isolated cruelty: there stand upon record multitudes of cases of a description equally horrible” (Ibid, pp. 113-114). 

These instances of resistance and suffering are a testament to how enslavement was being abolished from the ground up, and illustrate very clearly the impact that the actions of African men and women in Belize had in the process of emancipation; a process which saw key moments with the abolition of the slave trade in 1807; the abolition of slavery on August 1, 1834 and the end of apprenticeship and full legal emancipation on August 1, 1838 - which as it is was in 1838, was then marked by a public holiday with prayer and festivities. 

As we commemorate Emancipation Day, let us remember those who fought for freedom and dared to envision a better future including those that have sought to keep this memory alive such as leaders of the Emancipation Jubilee Committee of 1888, the National Kriol Council, and the UBAD Educational Foundation. We remember that it was the collective efforts of individuals, communities, and nations that brought an end to the system of enslavement. We recognize and celebrate the vibrant cultural contributions of African ancestors and their descendants to the making of Belize. 

Emancipation Day serves as a reminder of our past, a recognition of the present, and a call to action to confront the enduring legacies of enslavement. Under the guidance of the Hon. Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, we at the National Institute of Culture and History are committed to exploring and disseminating our historical narratives. We invite you to join us in this endeavor, to foster a deeper, shared understanding of Belize's history. 

Today’s ceremony and festivities are an affirmation of our unwavering commitment to freedom and an affirmation of the rich and shared African heritage of Belize, Central America, and the Caribbean. 

Thank you. 

Speech Delivered: July 31, 2023.

Last updated: August 2, 2023.

References: 

• Bolland, O. Nigel. (1988, revised 2003). Colonialism and Resistance: Essays in historical sociology. Benque Viejo del Carmen: Cubola Productions. 
• Dutt, Rajeshwari. (2023). Emancipation and Imperialism in a Borderland: The Challenge to Settler Sovereignty over Slavery in Belize in the 1820s. The Americas, 80(1), 1-31.
• Iyo, Aondofe. (2000). Towards understanding Belize's multi-cultural history and identity. Belize: University of Belize.
• Shoman, Assad. (1994, revised 2011). Thirteen chapters of a history of Belize. Belize: Angelus Press.
• Substance of the Debate in the House of Commons on the 18th May, 1823, on a Motion for the Mitigation and Gradual Abolition of Slavery throughout the British Dominions. London: 1823.