The Stono Rebellion In African American History

On a cold and damp Sunday night on September 9th, 1739 the British colony of South Carolina was unnerved by a slave uprising that peaked with the death of twenty white people. This Rebellion was led by a slave named Jemmy, a company of twenty slave organized a rebellion on the banks of the Stono River. After breaking into Hutchinson’s store, the rebels were now armed with firearms and were seeking their liberty. They marched and killed overseers and reluctant slaved were forced to join the band. The band reached the Edisto River where white colonists discovered them, killing most of the rebels. The survivors were sold off to the west or made examples out of. This slave uprising is known today as the Stono rebellion. Once the Stono rebellion ended sixty African Americans were executed without a trail, it is believed that some of these people did not participate in the rebellion in any way. …show more content…
This is important because it is believed to be a starting point for resistance against slavery, that ultimately ended slavery in the United States. It is historically known as one of the largest organized slave rebellions in United States history and it is also one of the deadliest slave rebellions to have taken place in America. The Stono rebellion was an important breakthrough for African American history and shaped history significantly. There were many factors that lead up to the Stono rebellion such as cruel treatment of slaves, Spain’s offer of freedom, and talk of passing the security act. Once the rebellion occurred it changed African American history significantly because it caused more slave resistance, it caused fear in white slave owners, and it encouraged the formation of the Negro