The slaves who participated in the Stono Rebellion in South Carolina in 1739 hoped to

South Carolina Department of Archives and History

National Register Properties in South Carolina

Stono River Slave Rebellion Site, Charleston County (off U.S. Hwy. 17, Rantowles vicinity)

The slaves who participated in the Stono Rebellion in South Carolina in 1739 hoped to
No Photo Available

One of the most serious slave insurrections which occurred during the colonial period took place about twenty miles southwest of Charleston in Stono, September 9-10, 1739. A number of conditions existed in South Carolina during the 1730s which were conducive to a slave revolt: large numbers of slaves fresh from Africa had been imported into the province; these first and second generation Africans retained a large measure of their culture; the blacks vastly outnumbered the white population; the military threat posed by the Spanish in Florida and the constant intrigue on their part to lure slaves into Spanish territory; the accessibility of weapons; and above all, the institution of slavery itself. Approximately eighty slaves participated in the Stono rebellion which brought destruction to several plantations in the area. The rebellion was led by a man named Jemmy who was an Angolan slave. It was at this location that slaves under his leadership attacked the Hutchinson warehouse located near the river. After killing the two guards and seizing the arms within they proceeded towards Savannah and hoped for freedom. Listed in the National Register May 30, 1974; Designated a National Historic Landmark May 30, 1974.

View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property.

Most National Register properties are privately owned and are not open to the public. The privacy of owners should be respected. Not all properties retain the same integrity as when originally documented and listed in the National Register due to changes and modifications over time.

Images and texts on these pages are intended for research or educational use. Please read our statement on use and reproduction for further information on how to obtain a photocopy or how to cite an item.


Images provided by the

South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

South Carolina, September 9, 1739: A band of slaves march down the road, carrying banners that proclaim "Liberty!". They shout out the same word. Led by an Angolan named Jemmy, the men and women continue to walk south, recruiting more slaves along the way. By the time they stop to rest for the night, their numbers will have approached one hundred.

What exactly triggered the Stono Rebellion is not clear. Many slaves knew that small groups of runaways had made their way from South Carolina to Florida, where they had been given freedom and land. Looking to cause unrest within the English colonies, the Spanish had issued a proclamation stating that any slave who deserted to St Augustine would be given the same treatment. Certainly this influenced the potential rebels and made them willing to accept their situation. A fall epidemic had disrupted the colonial government in nearby Charlestown (Charleston), and word had just arrived that England and Spain were at war, raising hopes that the Spanish in St. Augustine would give a positive reception to slaves escaping from Carolina plantations. But what may have actually triggered the rebellion on September 9th was the soon-to-be-enacted Security Act.

Inhaltsverzeichnis Show

  • What was the goal of the slaves in the Stono Rebellion?
  • Why did the Stono Rebellion occur in South Carolina in 1739?
  • What happened to the slaves after the Stono Rebellion?
  • What was Stono Rebellion and why was it significant?

In mid-August, a Charlestown newspaper announced the Security Act. A response to the white's fears of insurrection, the act required that all white men carry firearms to church on Sundays, a time when whites usually didn't carry weapons and slaves were allowed to work for themselves. Anyone who didn't comply with the new law by September 29 would be subjected to a fine.

Whatever triggered the Rebellion, early on the morning of the 9th, a Sunday, about twenty slaves gathered near the Stono River in St. Paul's Parish, less than twenty miles from Charlestown. The slaves went to a shop that sold firearms and ammunition, armed themselves, then killed the two shopkeepers who were manning the shop. From there the band walked to the house of a Mr. Godfrey, where they burned the house and killed Godfrey and his son and daughter. They headed south. It was not yet dawn when they reached Wallace's Tavern. Because the innkeeper at the tavern was kind to his slaves, his life was spared. The white inhabitants of the next six or so houses they reach were not so lucky -- all were killed. The slaves belonging to Thomas Rose successfully hid their master, but they were forced to join the rebellion. (They would later be rewarded. See Report re. Stono Rebellion Slave-Catchers.) Other slaves willingly joined the rebellion. By eleven in the morning, the group was about 50 strong. The few whites whom they now encountered were chased and killed, though one individual, Lieutenant Governor Bull, eluded the rebels and rode to spread the alarm.

The slaves stopped in a large field late that afternoon, just before reaching the Edisto River. They had marched over ten miles and killed between twenty and twenty-five whites.

Around four in the afternoon, somewhere between twenty and 100 whites had set out in armed pursuit. When they approached the rebels, the slaves fired two shots. The whites returned fire, bringing down fourteen of the slaves. By dusk, about thirty slaves were dead and at least thirty had escaped. Most were captured over the next month, then executed; the rest were captured over the following six months -- all except one who remained a fugitive for three years.

Uncomfortable with the increasing numbers of blacks for some time, the white colonists had been working on a Negro Act that would limit the privileges of slaves. This act was quickly finalized and approved after the Stono Rebellion. No longer would slaves be allowed to grow their own food, assemble in groups, earn their own money, or learn to read. Some of these restrictions had been in effect before the Negro Act, but had not been strictly enforced.

South Carolina Department of Archives and History

National Register Properties in South Carolina

Stono River Slave Rebellion Site, Charleston County (off U.S. Hwy. 17, Rantowles vicinity)

No Photo Available

One of the most serious slave insurrections which occurred during the colonial period took place about twenty miles southwest of Charleston in Stono, September 9-10, 1739. A number of conditions existed in South Carolina during the 1730s which were conducive to a slave revolt: large numbers of slaves fresh from Africa had been imported into the province; these first and second generation Africans retained a large measure of their culture; the blacks vastly outnumbered the white population; the military threat posed by the Spanish in Florida and the constant intrigue on their part to lure slaves into Spanish territory; the accessibility of weapons; and above all, the institution of slavery itself. Approximately eighty slaves participated in the Stono rebellion which brought destruction to several plantations in the area. The rebellion was led by a man named Jemmy who was an Angolan slave. It was at this location that slaves under his leadership attacked the Hutchinson warehouse located near the river. After killing the two guards and seizing the arms within they proceeded towards Savannah and hoped for freedom. Listed in the National Register May 30, 1974; Designated a National Historic Landmark May 30, 1974.

View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property.

Most National Register properties are privately owned and are not open to the public. The privacy of owners should be respected. Not all properties retain the same integrity as when originally documented and listed in the National Register due to changes and modifications over time.

Images and texts on these pages are intended for research or educational use. Please read our statement on use and reproduction for further information on how to obtain a photocopy or how to cite an item.


Images provided by the

South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

What was the goal of the slaves in the Stono Rebellion?

They were bound for Spanish Florida, where successive proclamations had promised freedom for fugitive slaves from British North America. ... .

Why did the Stono Rebellion occur in South Carolina in 1739?

A malaria epidemic in Charlestown, which caused general confusion throughout Carolina, may have influenced the timing of the Rebellion. The recent (August 1739) passage of the Security Act by the South Carolina Colonial Assembly may also have played a role.

What happened to the slaves after the Stono Rebellion?

This act was quickly finalized and approved after the Stono Rebellion. No longer would slaves be allowed to grow their own food, assemble in groups, earn their own money, or learn to read. Some of these restrictions had been in effect before the Negro Act, but had not been strictly enforced.

What was Stono Rebellion and why was it significant?

The largest and most significant slave rebellion in the British North American colonies, the Stono Rebellion revealed tensions that continued in slave states throughout the next century. Slaves were oppressed by a brutal system of forced labor and sometimes violently rebelled.

What was the goal of the rebellion at Stono?

Stono Rebellion
Date
September 9th, 1739
Location
South Carolina Lowcountry
Goals
Escape to Spanish Florida
Resulted in
Suppression, execution of the rebels
Stono Rebellion - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org › wiki › Stono_Rebellionnull

What did the slaves do in the Stono Rebellion?

Led by an Angolan named Jemmy, a band of twenty slaves organized a rebellion on the banks of the Stono River. After breaking into Hutchinson's store the band, now armed with guns, called for their liberty. As they marched, overseers were killed and reluctant slaves were forced to join the company.

What was the Stono Rebellion and what was the outcome?

When the slave owners caught up with the rebels from the Stono River in 1739, they engaged the 60 to 100 slaves in a battle. More than 20 white Carolinians, and nearly twice as many black Carolinians, were killed. As a result, South Carolina's lawmakers enacted a harsher slave code.

What was the outcome of the Stono Rebellion of 1739 quizlet?

The most serious slave rebellion in the the colonial period which occurred in 1739 in South Carolina. 100 African Americans rose up, got weapons and killed several whites then tried to escape to S. Florida. The uprising was crushed and the participants executed.