Peter Espeut
THERE WOULD be no need for Jamaica to copy the observances of the United States of America unless we felt some lack in the way our own history is taught to us. It was Sir Philip Sherlock (in the 96th year of his life) and his co-author Hazel Bennett who gave us in 1998 The Story of the Jamaican People, the first attempt at a history of the ruled rather than of the rulers. It really is a matter of perspective, not just of characters, for opposing sides can tell the same story about the same characters but with their own slant, leaving us with quite different impressions.
The insurgency in Morant Bay in 1865 would be a 'rebellion' to the plantocracy and a 'liberation struggle' to the newly-freed slaves. The abolition of the Jamaica House of Assembly which followed would be (to some) welcome rule directly from Whitehall in London, and (to others) a dastardly deed subverting the rising political power of the former slaves in the House of Assembly. To some (even today) Marcus Garvey was a sick joke and a crook, while to others he is an icon of black pride and self-determination. History is usually written by the victors, and I leave you to deduce who is in the ascendancy in our neo-colonial, if independent, Jamaica.
GALLANT FIGHTER
Some of the characters in our history are worth knowing about. Who was one of the earliest black Jamaicans to fight gallantly to defend his native land?
I'll give you a hint: The year is 1655. In that year English troops captured Jamaica from the Spaniards, but not without some serious skirmishes. Spanish-Jamaicans threw up breastworks made of hides at one of the few places the Black River could be forded, and in August 1655, the English were repelled with 20 dead and 20 wounded (all who later died).
They came back in September, and the garrison fought stubbornly, killing over 40 English and wounding many more; but during the fighting, the English ferried troops across the river in rafts, and attacked the breastworks from behind, forcing the Spanish to withdraw. One of the best fighters was Diego Pimienta, a black Jamaican, who killed many English while defending his native country. Jamaican black history goes back a little further than many people think!
Have you heard of two slaves named Fortune and Kingston? I'll give you a hint: The year is 1760. They were companions of Tacky who were convicted in Ballards Valley, St. Mary, along with a third slave, for the murders of 60 whites, including a Mr. Cruikshank, the owner of Ballards Valley. They were sentenced to death. Fortune and Kingston were hung alive in irons in the Kingston Parade; one died after seven days, and the other after nine. The third man, whose name is lost to history, was burnt alive, and Thomas Thistlewood (1721-1786) tells us of him: "The wretch that was burnt was made to sit on the ground, and his body being chained to an iron stake, the fire was applied to his feet. He uttered not a groan, and saw his legs reduced to ashes with the utmost firmness and composure; after which, one of his arms by some means getting loose, he snatched a brand from the fire that was consuming him, and flung it in the face of the executioner." How is that for black history!
WHO IS PLATO?
Most people have heard of Three-Finger Jack, but have you ever heard of Plato, dubbed the Three-Finger Jack of the West? In the 1770s Plato kept Westmoreland in a perpetual state of alarm. His reputation as a lover and his ability to outfit his mistresses from the luggage of his victims meant that he always had a harem of good-looking women. Monk Lewis (1775-1818) wrote in 1818: "No Creole lady could venture out on a visit, without running the risk of having her bandbox run away with by Plato for the decoration of his sultanas; and if the maid who carried the bandbox happened to be well-looking, he ran away with the maid as well as the bandbox." He used his reputation as an obeah man to overawe his enemies. In 1780 Plato was betrayed and trapped by the watchman of Canaan estate, to whom he had given money to buy rum.
When he went to get it, a trap was set, but Plato immediately began to drink the rum, and passed out, to be easily captured. Before his execution he pronounced judgement upon Jamaica and his captors; and shortly afterwards on October 3, 1780 Savanna-la-Mar was destroyed by the "most terrible hurricane which ever spread death and destruction". Then Westmoreland was shaken by a series of earthquakes and tsunamis with great loss of life, and for the survivors, famine from loss of food crops. There were further hurricanes in 1781, 1784, 1785 and 1786. In death, Plato's reputation soared!
Why aren't these stories told on dark nights around the campfires?
Peter Espeut is a sociologist, and is executive director of an environment and development NGO.
