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40:
167:
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The riots caused great destruction to property on the islands. 879 acres were burned, and the damage caused was estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars. Direct casualties of the riot include the deaths of 60 black laborers and two soldiers, and 14 women who died in an explosion. In addition, 12
869:
staged a protest and gained their freedom. For many laborers this freedom was short-lived, as plantation owners quickly began devising new regulations. The now free laborers were forced by law to sign contracts that bound them and their families to the plantations where they worked. By signing these
886:
to demand higher wages and better working conditions. Although it was initially a peaceful gathering, the crowd began to become violent after rumors circulated, including a rumor that a laborer had been hospitalized, but was mistreated and died in police custody. The rioters threw stones and the
910:
In 2004, historian Wayne James uncovered Danish documents, including photographs of the prison where the women served their sentences, a storybook they wrote, and "a host of other historically significant documents and photos." According to him, these documents reveal the existence of a fourth
894:
was confident he and his men had the situation under control and turned the ships away, though some soldiers borrowed guns from the
British ships. The next day, Garde ordered all laborers to return to their plantations or be declared "rebels". Laborers were forbidden to leave their plantations
887:
Danish soldiers retaliated with gunfire. As violence escalated, the soldiers barricaded themselves inside a fort. Unable to scale the gates to access the fort, the rioters turned their focus on the town and began looting it, using torches to burn many buildings and plantations.
923:
A year after
Fireburn, in October 1879, new contracts were written that would supposedly increase laborers' wages. But they contracts were weighted in favor of the plantation owners and resulted in little to no improvement in the laborers' lives.
1103:
Virgin
Islands oral tradition is filled with such heroic, history-telling folk songs as 'Queen Mary,' which celebrates the courageous and semi-mythical woman Mary Thomas, who led the 'Fireburn,' the St. Croix Labor Revolt of
730:
1148:
The liberalization of labor conditions in the 1879, then, did not necessarily result in any improvements in the laborers' conditions, on balance, since it was obtained on the planters' and not the laborers'
488:
907:, "Queen Agnes", and "Queen Mathilda." The three were sentenced to prison, and served their terms in Denmark. A folk song from the 1880s, "Queen Mary", was written about Mary's role in the riot.
741:
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290:
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283:
1116:
853:. The revolt started on October 1, 1878, and was suppressed after several days of looting and burning. Among the leaders were several women—
1057:
494:
159:
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without written permission from the plantation owner. By mid-October, the riot had died down and peace was returning to the islands.
797:
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421:
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682:
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229:
802:
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On
October 4, British, French, and American warships arrived and offered to help stop the riot. But
1213:
1144:
From
Serfdom to Fireburn and Strike: The History of Black Labor in the Danish West Indies 1848-1917
857:, "Queen Agnes" Salomon, and "Queen Mathilda" McBean—who became known as "Queens of the Fireburn".
657:
574:
439:
17:
1036:
Small
Islands, Large Questions: Society, Culture and Resistance in the Post-Emancipation Caribbean
444:
994:
964:
416:
330:
1021:
Divers
Information on The Romantic History of St. Croix: From the Time of Columbus until Today
401:
667:
591:
185:
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406:
383:
342:
8:
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222:
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62:
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586:
366:
66:
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708:
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336:
1163:"Denmark Gets Statue of a 'Rebel Queen' Who Led Fiery Revolt Against Colonialism"
937:
580:
373:
325:
320:
1099:
Owning Memory: How a
Caribbean Community Lost Its Archives and Found Its History
846:
473:
455:
1187:
537:
172:
275:
883:
871:
532:
78:
842:
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702:
944:, seated on a throne with a cane knife and torch. Its installation in
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made the statue
Denmark's first public monument to a black woman.
217:
137:
129:
124:
920:
laborers were condemned to death and hanged on
October 5, 1878.
983:
T-shirt with Fireburn and Three Queens motif, St. Croix 2015
911:"queen", Susanna Abramsen, who was known as "Bottom Belly."
903:
Among the prominent leaders of the riot were three women,
1146:. Christiansted, St. Croix: Antilles Press. p. 139.
44:
Illustration from Illustreret Tidende, November 1878.
1117:"Wayne James Says He's Found a 4th Fireburn 'Queen'"
1084:
A History of the Virgin Islands of the United States
1101:. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. p. 12.
1185:
940:unveiled a 7 meters (23 ft)-tall statue of
860:
150:
305:
291:
1097:Bastian, Jeannette Allis (30 August 2003).
298:
284:
38:
1161:Sorensen, Martin Selsoe (31 March 2018).
1077:
1075:
1034:Olwig, Karen Fog, ed. (14 January 2014).
898:
1160:
1047:
1045:
1018:
818:
176:
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1054:"Danish West Indies after emancipation"
1012:
971:honors Queens Mary, Agnes, and Mathilda
14:
1186:
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882:In October 1878, laborers gathered in
1135:
1042:
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279:
1109:
1027:
24:
1051:
77:Lack of freedom for the laborers,
27:Uprising in the Danish West Indies
25:
1230:
1086:. Canoe Press. pp. 230–231.
976:
953:
216:
178:
165:
152:
136:
123:
1219:1870s in the Danish West Indies
1023:. Dukane Press. pp. 48–57.
877:
870:contracts, the laborers became
1154:
874:slaves again in all but name.
13:
1:
1005:
861:Events leading up to the riot
914:
865:In July 1848, the slaves of
88:More freedom to the laborers
53:1 October – Mid-october 1878
7:
1019:Lewishon, Florence (1964).
988:
798:St. Thomas & Santa Cruz
10:
1235:
1123:. St. Croix. 4 August 2004
1038:. Routledge. p. 136.
961:The Three Queens Fountain
927:
835:1878 St. Croix labor riot
313:
307:Danish colonial conflicts
267:
247:
242:
211:
206:
115:
110:
100:
92:
84:
73:
57:
49:
37:
32:
905:Mary "Queen Mary" Thomas
837:, locally also known as
235:"Queen Mathilda" McBean
1082:Dookhan, Isaac (1974).
1204:Labor in the Caribbean
1142:Jensen, Peter (1998).
995:David Hamilton Jackson
899:Queens of the Fireburn
841:, was a labor riot on
830:
195:Queens of the Fireburn
96:Deadly riots, protests
1199:1878 in the Caribbean
822:
243:Casualties and losses
233:"Queen Agnes" Salomon
1000:Estate Rust Op Twist
190:(all from 4 october)
1209:October 1878 events
1060:on 24 November 2012
965:Blackbeard's Castle
855:"Queen Mary" Thomas
849:, then part of the
826:Illustreret Tidende
230:"Queen Mary" Thomas
1194:Danish West Indies
1167:The New York Times
867:Danish West Indies
851:Danish West Indies
831:
823:Illustration from
528:5th Christiansborg
506:4ht Christiansborg
489:3rd Christiansborg
484:2nd Christiansborg
479:1st Christiansborg
223:Janus August Garde
143:Danish West Indies
63:Danish West Indies
1052:Potter, Susanna.
816:
815:
646:Strait of Malacca
612:4th Bay of Bengal
607:3rd Bay of Bengal
602:2nd Bay of Bengal
592:1st Bay of Bengal
440:Cape of Good Hope
274:
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263:
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202:
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104:Revolt suppressed
67:US Virgin Islands
16:(Redirected from
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1121:St. Croix Source
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1056:. Archived from
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1024:
1016:
980:
957:
934:Jeannette Ehlers
932:In 2018 artists
829:, November 1878.
695:Dannemarksnagore
563:Coromandel Coast
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106:879 acres burned
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1214:1878 in Denmark
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736:5th Tranquebar
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714:Anandamangalam
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703:4th Tranquebar
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683:3rd Tranquebar
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678:2nd Tranquebar
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673:1st Tranquebar
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462:Fredericksborg
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445:Canary Islands
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417:East Greenland
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160:United Kingdom
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748:2nd Serampore
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726:1st Serampore
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197:Labor Rioters
193:
187:
174:
173:United States
161:
148:Supported by:
144:
139:
134:
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132:
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126:
119:
118:
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68:
65:, modern day
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60:
56:
52:
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41:
36:
31:
19:
1170:. Retrieved
1166:
1156:
1147:
1143:
1137:
1125:. Retrieved
1120:
1111:
1102:
1098:
1092:
1083:
1062:. Retrieved
1058:the original
1035:
1029:
1020:
1014:
960:
931:
922:
918:
909:
902:
889:
884:Frederiksted
881:
878:Contract Day
864:
838:
834:
832:
824:
807:
781:
780:
740:
719:4th Dansborg
701:
687:
658:3rd Dansborg
641:2nd Dansborg
633:
622:2nd Balasore
597:1st Balasore
579:
575:1st Dansborg
555:
549:
548:
493:
454:
428:
427:
395:
394:
354:
335:
315:
228:
214:
207:Lead figures
121:
79:debt peonage
942:Mary Thomas
843:Saint Croix
651:Philippines
568:Trincomalee
543:Prinsensten
450:Carolusborg
270:60 laborers
258:12 laborers
101:Resulted in
1188:Categories
1064:11 January
1006:References
969:St. Thomas
946:Copenhagen
689:2nd Bengal
581:1st Bengal
495:Gold Coast
467:Cape Corso
456:Cape Coast
435:Cape Verde
407:Jakobshavn
384:Aizkraukle
343:Lyndanisse
316:Baltic Sea
253:2 soldiers
1127:6 January
915:Aftermath
872:debt peon
808:St. Croix
803:Caribbean
782:Caribbean
742:2nd India
635:1st India
617:2nd Pipli
587:1st Pipli
511:Crèvecœur
412:ReykjavĂk
331:Pomerania
74:Caused by
989:See also
839:Fireburn
793:West Kay
788:St. John
775:Porreiar
758:Nancowry
663:Golconda
356:Novgorod
268:14 women
58:Location
33:Fireburn
18:Fireburn
1172:1 April
709:Tillali
668:Carical
627:Hooghly
523:3rd Osu
474:1st Osu
402:Iceland
389:Estonia
348:Tallinn
337:Livonia
321:Wendish
130:Denmark
111:Parties
93:Methods
1149:terms.
928:Legacy
557:Ceylon
538:Dodowa
429:Africa
379:Karuse
186:France
183:
170:
157:
1104:1878.
533:Volta
518:Ningo
374:Durbe
367:Pskov
326:RĂĽgen
85:Goals
1174:2018
1129:2015
1066:2012
936:and
833:The
550:Asia
50:Date
963:at
501:2nd
1190::
1165:.
1119:.
1074:^
1044:^
967:,
1176:.
1131:.
1068:.
299:e
292:t
285:v
20:)
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