In honor of Globally Ladies’ Go out and you may VI Record Week, we’re reflecting around three brave feminine to just who the new Region owes good higher loans. There clearly was still work are done, for this reason we look back to increase motivation and encouragement regarding the Virgin Islanders who have gone in advance of all of us.
King Mary
Mary Thomas, called King Mary, (california. 1848–1905) is among frontrunners of 1878 “Fireburn” labor riot, or uprising, into the isle off St. Croix.
Mary Thomas was regarding Antigua and found its way to St. Croix regarding the 1860s when deciding to take work with the fresh new plantations during the the latest island. Pursuing the 1848 emancipation out of enslaved Africans regarding the Danish West Indies, a keen 1849 labor rules repaired wages and you will work standards for everyone plantation gurus and prohibited negotiating having best wages otherwise works criteria. That it made plantation functions ugly and some experts signed up to go out of this new plantations plus the islands, to look for ideal conditions elsewhere. The government answered on the work lack by making it much harder in order to getting experts to depart the hawaiian islands, demanding health licenses and you may battery charging costs having passports. Whenever wages would be to feel discussed on the fall away from 1878, the workers’ demands were refuted, and the latest harsh standards to own traveling was basically implemented. That it started brand new thus-titled Fireburn riots, that have been known as biggest labor riot when you look at the Danish record, and during which over 50 ranches had been burnt.
Because of their own role just like the a leader inside the uprising age getting also known as “Queen Mary”. The employees chosen her and two most other feminine, “King Agnes” and “King Matilda”, given that “queens” to execute ritual and you will celebratory attributes within the uprising. King Mary was arrested and you will attempted together with other leadership of the labor uprising. During the demo of your own labor management Thomas are sentenced so you can demise to own arson and you will looting however, got their particular sentence commuted to help you lives imprisonment, and you may was moved to Copenhagen and you will set at Women’s Prison, Christianshavn into the 1882, but in 1887 is actually repaid so you’re able to Christiansted, St. Croix to suffice with the rest of their sentence.
Anna Heegaard
Anna Heegaard remains an intriguing figure inside Virgin Islands records. This woman is credited with improving standards with the enslaved African and you may “Totally free Colored” populace of your Danish Western Indies regarding the 19th century because the due to their 20 seasons experience of the fresh new islands’ Governor General, Peter von Scholten.
According to the Encyclopedia off Antislavery & Abolition, “Heegard undeniably swayed the newest way to have legal and you will social equality to own free black colored people on the Danish West Indies.” Heegaard was born in St. Croix in the January off 1790 so you’re able to solitary moms and dads referred to as an excellent “free mulatto woman” and you can an effective Danish Authorities clerk. She spent my youth along with her mommy and you may half of siblings inside the Christiansted. Heegard made use of their particular wits and you will charm to make liaisons which have St. Croix’s richest and strong men, sooner or later crossing paths on Governor-General soon just after their arrival from inside the 1827. Because of the that point, she got by herself end up being a fairly prosperous woman.
Heegard and Governor-General began conference continuously to go over new plight of your own 100 % free Coloured populace and you will she is believed to has actually aided your prepare yourself a listing of social reforms which he presented to the new Danish Queen, who appointed a commission to study and you will do the fresh new regulations for personal justice to own low-whites on D.W.We. . Reforms for the “unfree” in the course of time included – a managed amount of work-day, curtail out of corporal discipline, forbidding out of societal servant auctions, a good reprieve to own pregnant women, place out of schools and you can casing improvements. Von Scholten in addition to worked in order to elevator traps free of charge black and you will colored someone – position all of them in public positions and you may holding racially provided public functions, to add their own eating events presided more than because of the Heegard. It lived because the people and spouse for the majority of away from a couple ily into the Denmark, all mongolian sexy girls and ultimately the two settled from the Bulows Minde House Domestic beyond Christiansted.
