Tacky's Revolt
1760s slave rebellion in the Colony of Jamaica / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Tacky's Revolt, Tacky's Rebellion, or Tacky's War was a widespread fight for their freedom by enslaved people (referred to as a slave rebellion by the enslavers) in the British Colony of Jamaica in the 1760s. Led by Akan people (then referred to as Coromantee but originally from around Kromantsie in the Central Region of Ghana)—tribes including Ashanti, Fanti, Nzema and Akyem—it was loosely led by a Fanti royal and warlord called Tacky (Twi Takyi) in eastern Jamaica.
Tacky's Revolt | |||||||
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Part of the Slave Revolts in North America | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Great Britain Colony of Jamaica Maroon allies | Enslaved "Coromantee" people – likely of Ashanti, Fante and Akyem origin | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Lt Col Robert Spragge Captain Rigby Captain William Hynes Lieutenant Hugh Forsyth Superintendent Charles Swigle, Charles Town Maroons Captain Furry, Trelawny Town Maroons |
Tacky † Apongo (a.k.a. Wager) Simon/Damon | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
70–80 mounted militia Many Maroon allies | Hundreds | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
60 whites, 60 free blacks |
400 enslaved Africans in St Mary, 700 in western Jamaica, Over 500 recaptured and resold |
Tacky's Revolt was the most significant organized liberation movement by enslaved Africans (referred to as slave uprising by enslavers) in the Caribbean between the 1733 slave insurrection on St. John and the 1791 Haitian Revolution. According to Professor Trevor Burnard: "In terms of its shock to the imperial system, only the American Revolution surpassed Tacky's War in the eighteenth century." It was the most dangerous organized liberation movement by enslaved Africans in the British Empire until the Baptist War of Samuel Sharpe in 1831–1832, which also occurred in Jamaica.[1]