This Day in History September 13, 1663

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By Frances Benjamin Johnston [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Slavery was an early problem in the colonies of America.  Originally, people came here as indentured servants when they could not pay their way over here.  Most of the time, they didn't outlive their time of being a servant.  On this date in 1663, the Indentured Servants organized a revolt.  This was the first revolt of this kind in the country.  From what I can tell, there was a group of nine indentured servants that met secretly to organize an uprising.  Their plan was to get thirty men to rise up against their masters.  One of the slaves, Birkenhead, alerted the authorities, and the rebellion was thwarted.  The House of Burgess (pictured above) granted Birkenhead his freedom and five thousand pounds of tobacco.  It was further decreed that this date would be kept holy in memoriam.  From what I can tell, several of those servants who planned the uprising were beheaded, and their heads were displayed as a warning.  I honestly had no idea that people were beheaded in the colonies.  I thought only hangings occurred.

For more information, please check out:

http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Gloucester_County_Conspiracy_1663 

http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=25254 

http://slaverebellion.org/index.php?page=servants-conspiracy-in-gloucester-county 

http://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/Winter05-06/conspiracy.cfm 

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/natturner/slave_rebellions.html 

http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/negroplot/slaverevolts.html