MINISTER of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton says Emancipation Day is one of the most significant days in Guyana’s history, particularly for Guyanese of African descent as it marks the end of 200 years of one of the most dehumanising crimes against humanity in the history of the world.
In a message on the occasion, Dr. Norton said the abolition signalled the end of a monstrous system of plantation slavery started by the Dutch in the mid-1600s, which saw captive Africans and their offspring relegated to nothing more than property to be sold, traded, given or inherited and exploited.
“Enslaved Africans living under Dutch Colonial rule immediately resisted against the poor working conditions and the brutal treatment meted out to them. Large slave rebellions broke out; the most famous of which were the Berbice Slave Revolt of 1763, led by Kofi (Cuffy) and the Demerara Rebellion of 1823. Under British rule these persistent struggles against bondage in Guyana and other territories, along with other factors, eventually led the British Parliament to abolish slavery in 1834,” Norton said.
He said emancipation was not immediate, as it was preceded by a period of Apprenticeship from 1834. Africans, believing that their freedom was being withheld, continued to resist and were finally granted full freedom in 1838. “Emancipation Day, therefore, is also a time for reflection and the celebration of the spirit of perseverance. The end of plantation slavery led to the broadening of Guyana’s ethnic diversity as, soon after, indentured immigrants were brought here.”
According to Norton, for African Guyanese, in particular, it is a time to remember the sacrifices of their fore bearers, who fought for an end to the horrors of enslavement and reclaimed their dignity to become an integral part of nation building. “The abolition of slavery precipitated the start of the Village Movement, which saw freed slaves pooling their resources to buy plantations such as; Victoria, Buxton, Plaisance and Bagotville. They created villages; built schools, churches and farms and participated in other forms of economic activity,” the minister said.