King Charles reflects at site of 1823 slavery uprising executions

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 30 Oct, 19:09 · Archive

King Charles visited Independence Park in Georgetown, Guyana, where enslaved Africans were executed after the 1823 Demerara Rebellion.

King Charles visited Independence Park in Georgetown, Guyana, to acknowledge the country's history of slavery and reflect at the site where enslaved Africans were publicly executed following the Demerara Rebellion of 1823. The uprising began on 18 August 1823 on Sir John Gladstone's plantation, when an enslaved man named Jack Gladstone rang the plantation bell to signal the revolt. His father Quamina, a carpenter and local chapel deacon, had urged a peaceful strike but the rebellion was crushed with brutal force, leaving hundreds dead. Quamina was hunted down and killed on 16 September, his body hanged in chains outside the plantation as a warning to others. Jack Gladstone was sold and deported to St Lucia. Quamina is now one of Guyana's national heroes.

The King was accompanied by Guyana's Minister of Culture Steven Jacobs, who showed him a plaque at the entrance of the former parade ground commemorating the 33 people who were condemned to death and hanged from gallows erected on site. The visit takes place during the King's nine-day Caribbean tour, which began in the Bahamas where he acknowledged 'great suffering of the past'. The Commonwealth leaders' summit the King will open in Antigua next week is expected to discuss the legacy of slavery, as Caribbean nations continue to make renewed calls for Britain to apologise for its role in the enslavement of Africans and for reparations.

How it is being reported

• King visits Guyanan slave rebellion site on Caribbean tourHundreds of slaves were killed by colonial leaders in the Demerera rebellion of 1823, with many survivors executed.BBC News · 30 Oct, 20:51
• King Charles visits execution site of 1823 uprising against slaveryThe King visited the site where British authorities put down one of the largest uprisings of the colonial eraThe Independent · 30 Oct, 20:42
• Charles visits execution site of 1823 uprising against slaveryThe King watched children play sport in Independence Park, in Guyana’s capital Georgetown.Evening Standard · 30 Oct, 18:45
• King Charles reflects at spot where slaves were publicly executed after uprisingThe King stood in Independence Park in Georgetown, Guyana today, where enslaved Africans were publicly executed after an uprising, to acknowlege the country's history of slavery and resistanceThe Mirror · 30 Oct, 17:43

In this story: King Charles · Jack Gladstone · Quamina · Sir John Gladstone · Steven Jacobs · Guyana · Georgetown · Independence Park

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