In honor of International Ladies Go out and VI Background Day, we’re showing around three brave women so you’re able to which new Territory owes a beneficial high loans. There can be continue to work as over, that is why we look back to increase desire and you may reassurance on the Virgin Islanders who have went in advance of united states.
King Mary
Mary Thomas, known as King Mary, (ca. 1848–1905) was among the management of your 1878 “Fireburn” labor riot, otherwise uprising, toward isle out-of St. Croix.
Mary Thomas is actually away from Antigua and you may arrived in St. Croix regarding the 1860s to take work at brand new plantations inside brand new isle. Adopting the 1848 emancipation out-of enslaved Africans on Danish Western Indies, an enthusiastic 1849 labor rules fixed salaries and work requirements for everybody plantation pros and you will banned bargaining to possess greatest earnings or performs standards. That it produced plantation works ugly and some pros registered to go out of the new ranches as well as the islands, to find best criteria someplace else. The federal government responded into the labor shortage by simply making it more difficult in order to getting professionals to depart the hawaiian islands, demanding health permits and you can charging you charges to possess passports. Whenever wages would be to end up being discussed regarding fall off 1878, the newest workers’ demands were denied, and you can the fresh new severe conditions to own traveling were enforced. That it started brand new so-entitled Fireburn riots, which were called the premier labor riot into the Danish records, and where more than fifty plantations were burnt.
Due kissbrides.com/hr/japanske-nevjeste/ to her part due to the fact a leader within the uprising age to-be labeled as “King Mary”. The workers selected their unique as well as 2 most other women, “Queen Agnes” and “King Matilda”, given that “queens” to execute ritual and you can celebratory qualities within the uprising. King Mary are arrested and you may attempted with other leadership of the labor uprising. Within demonstration of your own work leadership Thomas are sentenced to demise to have arson and looting but had their unique sentence commuted in order to lifestyle imprisonment, and you will try transferred to Copenhagen and you will set in the Ladies Jail, Christianshavn during the 1882, however in 1887 try repaid to Christiansted, St. Croix so you can suffice the rest of their unique sentence.
Anna Heegaard
Anna Heegaard stays an interesting profile into the Virgin Countries records. She actually is credited that have improving criteria to the enslaved African and you may “Totally free Colored” society of one’s Danish Western Indies throughout the 19th century because the a direct result their 20 season connection with this new islands’ Governor General, Peter von Scholten.
According to Encyclopedia from Antislavery & Abolition, “Heegard without a doubt swayed the latest way to possess legal and you can societal equivalence getting 100 % free black colored group on the Danish West Indies.” Heegaard grew up in St. Croix inside January out of 1790 so you’re able to solitary moms and dads also known as a beneficial “free mulatto lady” and you will a Danish Regulators clerk. She spent my youth together with her mommy and you will 50 % of sisters in the Christiansted. Heegard relied on her wits and appeal to make liaisons which have St. Croix’s wealthiest and you may effective dudes, ultimately crossing paths towards Governor-Standard soon shortly after their arrival in the 1827. By that point, she had herself getting a relatively prosperous lady.
Heegard therefore the Governor-Standard began conference frequently to discuss the new plight of your Totally free Colored population and you will this woman is said to features assisted him get ready a list of public reforms which he made available to the fresh Danish Queen, just who appointed a payment to analyze and you will do the brand new laws and regulations having personal fairness having non-whites on D.W.We. . Reforms towards “unfree” fundamentally incorporated – a regulated duration of work day, reduce out-of corporal discipline, banning out-of social servant auctions, a beneficial reprieve having pregnant women, business away from universities and housing advancements. Von Scholten including did in order to lift barriers free-of-charge black and you will colored some one – position all of them in public areas ranking and holding racially provided personal services, to provide his or her own dinner parties presided over of the Heegard. They existed as man and you can wife for some away from two ily into the Denmark, and in the end the pair compensated on Bulows Minde Estate Home outside Christiansted.
