Beginning of the Morant Bay Rebellion

Date: October 11, 1865 • Location: Morant Bay, Jamaica

This milestone marked the outbreak and beginning of this historic period, which spanned 1865.

The Morant Bay rebellion, led by Paul Bogle and George William Gordon, began in Jamaica; after protestors burned down the courthouse, it was brutally suppressed by Governor Edward John Eyre.

The Morant Bay Rebellion began with a protest march to the courthouse in Morant Bay, Jamaica, by hundreds of people led by preacher Paul Bogle. Some were armed with sticks and stones. After seven men were shot and killed by the volunteer militia, the protesters attacked and burned the courthouse and nearby buildings. Twenty-five people died. Over the next two days, poor freedmen rose in rebellion across most of St. Thomas-in-the-East parish.