In honor of All over the world Ladies’ Day and you will VI Records Few days, the audience is showing three brave women so you’re able to whom the fresh new Territory owes good higher debt. There is certainly still work is over, this is exactly why i review to get motivation and you can encouragement throughout the Virgin Islanders who have moved before you.
Queen Mary
Mary Thomas, called Queen Mary, (california. 1848–1905) is among the management of your own 1878 “Fireburn” labor riot, or uprising, on isle out of St. Croix.
Mary Thomas are from Antigua and you may found its way to St. Croix on the 1860s to take work on the ranches in the the isle. Following 1848 emancipation from enslaved Africans about Danish Western Indies, an 1849 work legislation fixed salaries muЕЎkarci upoznaju Еѕene Honduras and you will labor standards for everyone plantation workers and you can blocked negotiating having greatest earnings or functions requirements. Which produced plantation works unattractive and some experts signed up to exit the new plantations additionally the countries, to look for top criteria in other places. The federal government reacted toward work shortage by making it more difficult so you can for experts to go away the hawaiian islands, requiring health licenses and you can recharging fees getting passports. Whenever earnings were to become negotiated on slide out of 1878, the latest workers’ needs were denied, and the fresh severe requirements to own travelling were implemented. Which started the new very-named Fireburn riots, which have been known as biggest labor riot during the Danish record, and you can where over fifty ranches was in fact burnt.
On account of their own part just like the a leader into the uprising age to be called “King Mary”. The employees chose her and two other feminine, “Queen Agnes” and you will “King Matilda”, just like the “queens” to do ritual and you can celebratory qualities when you look at the uprising. Queen Mary was arrested and you may experimented with together with other management of the labor uprising. During the demonstration of work leadership Thomas is actually sentenced in order to passing to have arson and you can looting however, had their unique sentence commuted to help you lifetime imprisonment, and you may is gone to live in Copenhagen and place at the Ladies Jail, Christianshavn when you look at the 1882, however in 1887 was delivered back to help you Christiansted, St. Croix to serve the remainder of their particular sentence.
Anna Heegaard
Anna Heegaard remains a fascinating profile for the Virgin Isles background. She is paid that have boosting standards with the enslaved African and you will “100 % free Colored” people of your Danish Western Indies regarding the nineteenth century due to the fact a direct result their 20 seasons relationship with the latest islands’ Governor General, Peter von Scholten.
According to Encyclopedia away from Antislavery & Abolition, “Heegard let me make it clear influenced brand new movement to own court and you may public equality to have 100 % free black colored group about Danish Western Indies.” Heegaard was born in St. Croix inside January off 1790 to single parents described as an effective “100 % free mulatto lady” and you may a Danish Bodies clerk. She was raised along with her mother and half of sisters inside Christiansted. Heegard relied on her wits and you may attraction to create liaisons that have St. Croix’s wealthiest and effective men, sooner crossing pathways towards Governor-General shortly once their arrival into the 1827. By the that time, she got herself be a fairly successful lady.
Heegard and also the Governor-General began meeting continuously to talk about the latest plight of your own Totally free Colored society and this woman is believed to has assisted him prepare yourself a listing of societal reforms that he presented to the latest Danish King, just who appointed a percentage to examine and you may carry out brand new rules to own societal fairness to have non-whites about D.W.We. . Reforms towards the “unfree” eventually provided – a managed duration of workday, reduce of corporal punishment, forbidding off personal servant deals, an excellent reprieve to have pregnant women, establishment off colleges and you may construction improvements. Von Scholten as well as worked so you can elevator traps for free black colored and coloured somebody – placing them in public ranking and you will holding racially included public qualities, to include his very own dining activities presided more than of the Heegard. It existed because people and you may wife for some out-of two ily in Denmark, and ultimately the two paid during the Bulows Minde Property Home away from Christiansted.