The New York City Slave Revolts

The year is 1712. The place; New York City. Slavery is rampant.

Under the Dutch, (before being turned over to the Duke ofYork in 1664,) New York City was called "New Amsterdam"). Dutch trusted their African slaves to serve in the militias, blacks and whites had equal standing in the courts. Freeblacks could own property and intermarry, even own white slaves, (indentured servants).

Further, Slaves under the Dutch had a hybrid status. They were 'half free', that is, on their own until their labour
was required.

When the British took control of New Netherlands, more than just the name changed.

By 1712, the Brits had not fully changed the pattern. Enslaved blacks often worked among free blacks, and one
couldn't instantly define a person's status by their colour.

On April 6th, a group set fire to a building near Broadway. When Whites came to put out the fire, the slaves attacked them and ran off. Nine whites were shot, stabbed or beaten to death, and six others injured.

In panic, the white authorities had seventy blacks arrested and put in jail. Six are reported to have committed suicide. Twenty seven were put on trial. Twenty one were convicted and sentenced to death.  Twenty were burned to death and one was executed on a 'breaking wheel',  a form of punishment which had been outlawed.

After this 'revolt', many laws were passed which would restrict the lives of blacks in New York.  African Americans
were not permitted to gather in groups of more than three, not permitted to carry firearms, and gambling was outlawed.

Crimes as property damage, rape, and conspiracy to kill, were punishable by death. Free blacks were no longer allowed to own land. Slave owners who decided to free their slaves were required to pay a tax much higher than the price of a slave.

In 1741 there was another uprising, which was reputedly a plot among slaves and poor whites to level New York City.

During March and April a series of fires had erupted in lower Manhattan, the most significant in Fort George the home of the governor.

Everyone was in panic and then, when Cuffee, a slave, was seen fleeing another fire at a warehouse he was arrested along with two others.

At the time, a white indentured servant, Mary Burton, who was owned by John Hughson was pressured by the authorities. Her master was under suspicion as he ran a tavern which catered to poor whites, free blacks and did some trade in stolen property.

In exchange for her freedom she testified to a conspiracy of blacks and whites to overthrow the colonial government.

Cuffee and Quack were burned at the stake, having named fifty others as co-conspirators after torture.

New York City was in turmoil. Half the male slaves over sixteen were arrested, tried and convicted in a show trial.  A Catholic Priest, John Ury was named as the ringleader.

At the end of the trial 160 blacks and 21 whites had been arrested, 17 blacks and 4 whites were hanged, 13 blacks were burned at the stake and 70 blacks were banished from New York.