In honor of In the world Ladies Big date and VI Record Few days, we’re reflecting about three fearless female to just who the fresh new Territory owes a good higher obligations. There is certainly still work to be done, this is the reason i review to achieve motivation and you can support throughout the Virgin Islanders who have moved ahead of you.
King Mary
Mary Thomas, also known as Queen Mary, (california. 1848–1905) was among the many management of 1878 “Fireburn” work riot, otherwise uprising, to your area regarding St. Croix.
Mary Thomas try from Antigua and you can arrived in St. Croix in the 1860s to take focus on the newest ranches from inside the the island. After the 1848 emancipation from enslaved Africans on the Danish Western Indies, an enthusiastic 1849 work rules fixed wages and you may labor standards for everybody plantation professionals and you may blocked bargaining for most readily useful earnings or functions standards. That it made plantation functions unsightly and many specialists opted to go away the brand new ranches in addition to countries, to get top requirements in other places. The us government answered on the labor scarcity by making they much harder so you can having gurus to leave the hawaiian islands, requiring health licenses and you may billing fees for passports. Whenever earnings was to be negotiated on fall out of 1878, the latest workers’ demands had been denied, and new harsh conditions having traveling was indeed imposed. Which started new very-named Fireburn riots, that have been called the biggest labor riot into the Danish records, and when over fifty plantations have been burnt.
On account of their role since a chief in uprising elizabeth is known as “King Mary”. The staff selected their particular and two other women, “King Agnes” and you will “Queen Matilda”, as “queens” to do routine and you will celebratory qualities in uprising. King Mary try arrested and you will experimented with with other frontrunners of the work uprising. In the trial of labor leaders Thomas is sentenced so you’re able to death for arson and you will looting however, had their own phrase commuted to lifestyle imprisonment, and you will is moved to Copenhagen and place during the Ladies Jail, Christianshavn into the 1882, in 1887 is repaid to Christiansted, St. Croix to help you serve with the rest of their unique sentence.
Anna Heegaard
Anna Heegaard stays a fascinating shape inside https://kissbrides.com/hot-mongolian-women/ Virgin Islands records. This woman is credited which have boosting criteria with the enslaved African and you will “Free Colored” inhabitants of one’s Danish West Indies on nineteenth century while the due to their particular 20 season reference to this new islands’ Governor General, Peter von Scholten.
With respect to the Encyclopedia regarding Antislavery & Abolition, “Heegard undoubtedly influenced the latest direction getting courtroom and you may public equality getting free black individuals in the Danish Western Indies.” Heegaard was born in St. Croix within the January from 1790 so you’re able to solitary mothers described as an excellent “free mulatto woman” and you will an excellent Danish Regulators clerk. She was raised along with her mother and half siblings into the Christiansted. Heegard relied on her wits and you will charm to make liaisons that have St. Croix’s wealthiest and you will strong men, at some point crossing paths towards Governor-Standard shortly immediately after his arrival for the 1827. Of the that time, she got herself feel a somewhat prosperous lady.
Heegard plus the Governor-General first started conference continuously to go over the fresh new predicament of one’s 100 % free Colored people and you may the woman is considered has assisted your prepare yourself a listing of personal reforms which he made available to the brand new Danish King, which designated a fee to examine and you will manage this new rules for public justice to have non-whites throughout the D.W.I. . Reforms to the “unfree” in the course of time included – a managed amount of work-day, reduce from corporal abuse, banning off social slave auctions, a beneficial reprieve to own women that are pregnant, establishment of universities and housing developments. Von Scholten also has worked to lift traps free of charge black colored and coloured some body – establishing all of them in public ranking and you can holding racially included personal characteristics, to provide his own food people presided over from the Heegard. It stayed given that people and you may wife for many out-of several ily inside the Denmark, and finally the pair settled from the Bulows Minde Home House outside Christiansted.