These women was indeed early trailblazers on the way to a Virgin Countries in which female has freedom, equivalence and you will power
In honor of All over the world Ladies‘ Date and you may VI History Week, the audience is showing three daring women so you’re able to which the newest Territory owes good high obligations. There is still work become done, which is why i look back to increase desire and you may support about Virgin Islanders that moved in advance of you.
King Mary
Mary Thomas, labeled as King Mary, (california. 1848–1905) are among management of 1878 “Fireburn” labor riot, or uprising, to your isle off St. Croix.
Mary Thomas are out-of Antigua and you will found its way to St. Croix on 1860s to take work at the latest ranches when you look at the this new isle. Following 1848 emancipation from enslaved Africans in the Danish West Indies, an 1849 labor legislation repaired wages and you may labor conditions for everyone plantation experts and you can prohibited bargaining getting finest wages otherwise works criteria. Which made plantation work unattractive and several pros signed up to leave the plantations therefore the islands, to get greatest standards in other places. Government entities answered with the work shortage by simply making it more difficult to help you for gurus to leave the hawaiian islands, requiring wellness certificates and you will charging charges to possess passports. When earnings were to become discussed regarding the slip regarding 1878, this new workers‘ need have been denied, and the fresh new severe criteria to have traveling had been imposed. So it stimulated this new thus-entitled Fireburn riots, which have been called the biggest work riot from inside the Danish records, and you may when over 50 plantations was burnt.
On account of her role as a frontrunner during the uprising age is called “Queen Mary”. The workers selected her as well as 2 almost every other feminine, “King Agnes” and you may “Queen Matilda”, as “queens” to execute routine and you can celebratory functions inside the uprising. King Mary was detained and you will experimented with along with other management of work uprising. In the demonstration of your work leaders Thomas is sentenced so you’re able to death getting arson and you can looting but had their sentence commuted in order to existence imprisonment, and you will is actually moved to Copenhagen and put during the Ladies Prison, Christianshavn during the 1882, however in 1887 try delivered back to Christiansted, St. Croix to help you serve the rest of their own phrase.
Anna Heegaard
Anna Heegaard remains an interesting profile from inside the Virgin Countries history. This woman is paid with improving standards towards the enslaved African and “100 % free Coloured” society of one’s Danish West Indies from the 19th century given that due to their 20 12 months reference to the brand new islands‘ Governor Standard, Peter von Scholten.
Depending on the Encyclopedia regarding Antislavery & Abolition, “Heegard certainly swayed new movement for courtroom and you can social equivalence having free black men and women throughout the Danish West Indies.” Heegaard was born in St. Croix during the January from 1790 in order to unmarried parents referred to as a “100 % free mulatto woman” and you can a beneficial Danish Government clerk. She spent my youth together with her mother and you will 50 % of siblings inside the Christiansted. Heegard made use of their unique wits and you can charm to make liaisons that have St. Croix’s wealthiest and strong guys, in the course of time crossing paths to the Governor-Standard not long after his arrival in 1827. From the that point, she got by herself become a relatively prosperous lady.
Heegard and also the Governor-General first started appointment frequently to go over the latest predicament of one’s Free Colored society and you will she actually is believed to has actually assisted him ready yourself a listing of personal reforms which he presented GrДЌka Еѕenka to the fresh Danish Queen, exactly who appointed a payment to learn and carry out the fresh new laws and regulations to own public fairness to have non-whites regarding the D.W.We. . Reforms towards “unfree” eventually integrated – a managed period of work day, curtail out of corporal discipline, forbidding away from social slave deals, a beneficial reprieve to possess expectant mothers, establishment from universities and you can houses improvements. Von Scholten together with spent some time working so you can lift barriers 100% free black colored and coloured some body – place them in public places ranks and you will holding racially incorporated public services, to add his personal dinner functions presided over by Heegard. They existed as people and you can wife for almost all out of a few ily inside the Denmark, and finally the pair compensated at Bulows Minde Property Household outside of Christiansted.