Fireburn
The St. Croix Labor Riot of 1878, also known as the Fireburn, was a labor riot in the Danish West Indies, now the U.S. Virgin Islands, illustrating the lasting effects of the slavery and systematic exploitation of liberated laborers. Even after emancipation was declared in 1848, former enslaved peoples of African descent were forced into contracts that would keep them working and living in harsh conditions. On October 1, 1878, Contract Day, a protest against these injustices erupted into a rebellion, led by four women dubbed the "Four Queens": Mary Thomas, Axelene "Agnes" Salomon, Mathilda Mcbean, and Susana Abramsen. This uprising is still remembered today as a symbol of resistance to systematic oppression.
Shine
- 2018-03-01T00:00:00.000000Z
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