Honoring Global Ladies’ Go out and you may VI Record Times, we’re highlighting three courageous feminine so you’re able to which the fresh Region owes good high loans. There is certainly continue to work getting done, this is why we review to achieve determination and you can support on the Virgin Islanders who’ve gone prior to us.
Queen Mary
Mary Thomas, known as Queen Mary, (california. 1848–1905) try one of many leadership of 1878 “Fireburn” work riot, otherwise uprising, on area from St. Croix.
Mary Thomas is regarding Antigua and found its way to St. Croix in the 1860s to take focus on the new plantations inside the latest area. Following the 1848 emancipation away from enslaved Africans on the Danish West Indies, an 1849 labor laws fixed wages and you can labor requirements for all plantation experts and you may prohibited negotiating to possess most useful earnings otherwise works standards. It produced plantation functions unattractive and many gurus joined to leave the new ranches as well as the countries, to seek greatest standards someplace else. Government entities responded for the work scarcity https://kissbrides.com/hr/kineske-nevjeste/ through it much harder so you’re able to having professionals to exit the hawaiian islands, requiring wellness licenses and you can battery charging charges having passports. When earnings were to be discussed on the slip regarding 1878, the latest workers’ need have been denied, and you can this new harsh conditions to own traveling was in fact imposed. It started the newest very-entitled Fireburn riots, that have been known as prominent labor riot when you look at the Danish history, and you will where more fifty ranches was basically burned.
Because of her part because a chief within the uprising e to get known as “King Mary”. The employees chosen her as well as 2 most other women, “Queen Agnes” and “King Matilda”, as “queens” to do ritual and you may celebratory properties into the uprising. King Mary are arrested and you may tried with other frontrunners of one’s work uprising. During the trial of your work leaders Thomas is sentenced to help you passing getting arson and you may looting however, had their sentence commuted so you can lives imprisonment, and you will are moved to Copenhagen and set at Women’s Jail, Christianshavn in 1882, however in 1887 try delivered back so you can Christiansted, St. Croix to serve the rest of their particular sentence.
Anna Heegaard
Anna Heegaard stays an intriguing figure in Virgin Countries background. She is paid which have boosting requirements to your enslaved African and you will “Free Coloured” inhabitants of Danish West Indies throughout the 19th century while the due to their unique 20 seasons connection with the fresh new islands’ Governor Standard, Peter von Scholten.
With regards to the Encyclopedia off Antislavery & Abolition, “Heegard undoubtedly influenced the new direction getting court and social equivalence to have totally free black colored everyone from the Danish West Indies.” Heegaard grew up in St. Croix inside January away from 1790 to solitary moms and dads called an excellent “totally free mulatto woman” and good Danish Government clerk. She spent my youth together with her mom and 50 % of siblings in Christiansted. Heegard relied on their particular wits and you can charm to form liaisons that have St. Croix’s wealthiest and you can powerful guys, at some point crossing pathways into the Governor-Standard not long shortly after his arrival into the 1827. Because of the that point, she got by herself feel a relatively successful lady.
Heegard while the Governor-General first started fulfilling on a regular basis to talk about new plight of one’s Free Colored people and you may the woman is believed to has assisted your prepare a list of public reforms he made available to brand new Danish King, exactly who designated a fee to examine and perform the fresh new regulations to own social fairness for non-whites from the D.W.We. . Reforms with the “unfree” sooner included – a managed period of work day, curtail of corporal punishment, forbidding out of societal slave auctions, a beneficial reprieve to have women that are pregnant, establishment from colleges and you can homes advancements. Von Scholten in addition to worked to help you lift traps free-of-charge black and colored anyone – place all of them in public ranks and you can holding racially provided personal functions, to include his own food activities presided more because of the Heegard. They stayed since man and you can spouse for many from a couple ily into the Denmark, and in the end the two paid at the Bulows Minde House House outside Christiansted.