This type of feminine was basically very early trailblazers on the road to a great Virgin Islands in which feminine has versatility, equality and strength
In honor of Around the globe Women’s Time and you will VI Records Month, we’re reflecting about three courageous feminine so you can who the Region owes a beneficial higher personal debt. You will find continue to work is done, this is the reason we review attain desire and you will encouragement in the Virgin Islanders with went in advance of united states.
King Mary
Mary Thomas, known as King Mary, (ca. 1848–1905) are one of the management of the 1878 “Fireburn” labor riot, or uprising, on the island out of St. Croix.
Mary Thomas are of Antigua and you can arrived in St. Croix on the 1860s to take work with this new ranches from inside the brand new area. Following the 1848 emancipation off enslaved Africans on the Danish West Indies, a keen 1849 labor legislation repaired wages and you can work criteria for everyone plantation pros and you will prohibited negotiating getting finest wages or performs requirements. Which generated plantation really works findbride unattractive and lots of specialists joined to go away the fresh new ranches additionally the countries, to find ideal standards elsewhere. The us government answered to the labor lack by creating they harder to help you to have experts to depart the hawaiian islands, demanding wellness permits and you will charging you costs for passports. When earnings would be to getting discussed from the slide away from 1878, the newest workers’ requires was in fact refuted, and you will the severe standards for traveling was in fact implemented. This stimulated new therefore-titled Fireburn riots, which have been called the largest labor riot inside Danish history, and you can during which more than 50 ranches was indeed burnt.
Due to their part due to the fact a frontrunner during the uprising e getting called “Queen Mary”. The staff picked their as well as 2 other feminine, “Queen Agnes” and you may “Queen Matilda”, because “queens” to do routine and you will celebratory functions inside the uprising. King Mary was detained and you may tried with other management of your own work uprising. At the demonstration of labor frontrunners Thomas is actually sentenced so you can demise getting arson and looting however, had their sentence commuted in order to existence imprisonment, and you can is actually transferred to Copenhagen and you will place during the Ladies’ Prison, Christianshavn inside 1882, however in 1887 are delivered back in order to Christiansted, St. Croix so you can serve the rest of their particular sentence.
Anna Heegaard
Anna Heegaard remains a fascinating figure when you look at the Virgin Countries history. She’s paid having improving criteria for the enslaved African and “Totally free Coloured” population of your Danish Western Indies on the 19th century while the a direct result her 20 12 months connection with the new islands’ Governor Standard, Peter von Scholten.
With regards to the Encyclopedia out-of Antislavery & Abolition, “Heegard let me make it clear influenced brand new movement getting courtroom and you may personal equality to own totally free black everyone regarding Danish Western Indies.” Heegaard grew up in St. Croix within the January out of 1790 so you can unmarried mothers referred to as a great “free mulatto woman” and a Danish Authorities clerk. She was raised along with her mother and you will 1 / 2 of sisters within the Christiansted. Heegard used their wits and you will attraction to create liaisons which have St. Croix’s richest and powerful men, ultimately crossing pathways on Governor-General shortly immediately following their coming into the 1827. By the the period, she got by herself getting a relatively successful lady.
Heegard plus the Governor-General began meeting on a regular basis to talk about the fresh new plight of your own 100 % free Coloured inhabitants and you will she actually is said to has actually assisted your get ready a summary of personal reforms which he presented to this new Danish King, who designated a fee to analyze and you can manage the legislation having personal fairness for non-whites on the D.W.We. . Reforms into the “unfree” eventually included – a regulated duration of work-day, curtail regarding corporal abuse, forbidding of personal servant auctions, good reprieve to own pregnant women, organization of colleges and housing advancements. Von Scholten plus did to elevator barriers at no cost black and coloured some one – placing them in public areas positions and you can holding racially integrated public functions, to provide his personal dinner events presided over by the Heegard. It existed given that people and wife for most away from a couple of ily during the Denmark, and ultimately the two compensated within Bulows Minde Estate Family outside of Christiansted.
