These female have been early trailblazers on the path to a beneficial Virgin Countries in which feminine possess liberty, equality and you may power
Honoring In the world Ladies Time and you can VI Background Times, our company is showing about three daring female in order to who the brand new Region owes a high personal debt. There is certainly continue to work is over, this is the reason we look back to increase inspiration and support on the Virgin Islanders that have went before you.
Queen Mary
Mary Thomas, labeled as King Mary, (california. 1848–1905) are among management of the 1878 “Fireburn” labor riot, or uprising, into the island away from St. Croix.
Mary Thomas are regarding Antigua and you can arrived in St. Croix about 1860s for taking work with the brand new ranches from inside the the area. Pursuing the 1848 emancipation off enslaved Africans on Danish West Indies, a keen 1849 labor law repaired salaries and you can labor conditions for all plantation pros and you will blocked bargaining to own best wages otherwise work standards. That it produced plantation really works ugly and some gurus joined to go out of the ranches while the isles, to seek most readily useful requirements in other places. The government reacted toward labor lack by simply making it more challenging to having pros to go away the islands, requiring wellness licenses and you will charging costs to own passports. When earnings was to getting negotiated throughout the slip out-of 1878, the newest workers’ means was denied, and the fresh severe conditions to have travel was indeed enforced. That it started the newest so-titled Fireburn riots, that happen to be known as largest labor riot for the Danish record, and you can where more fifty ranches were https://kissbrides.com/guatemalan-women/ burnt.
Because of their unique role since the a leader into the uprising elizabeth become called “King Mary”. The staff selected their unique and two most other women, “King Agnes” and you may “Queen Matilda”, because the “queens” to do routine and celebratory services for the uprising. King Mary was arrested and you may tried with other leadership of your own work uprising. At the demo of one’s work leadership Thomas try sentenced in order to demise to own arson and you can looting however, got her sentence commuted so you can existence imprisonment, and you can try gone to live in Copenhagen and you can placed from the Women’s Prison, Christianshavn into the 1882, in 1887 are sent back so you can Christiansted, St. Croix so you can serve with the rest of her phrase.
Anna Heegaard
Anna Heegaard stays a fascinating figure into the Virgin Islands record. She actually is paid having boosting criteria with the enslaved African and you can “Totally free Coloured” society of Danish Western Indies on the nineteenth century while the due to their 20 season relationship with the new islands’ Governor Standard, Peter von Scholten.
With regards to the Encyclopedia off Antislavery & Abolition, “Heegard certainly swayed the fresh new way having courtroom and you can social equality to possess totally free black colored people regarding the Danish West Indies.” Heegaard grew up in St. Croix within the January from 1790 to single parents called a good “100 % free mulatto woman” and you may an excellent Danish Bodies clerk. She spent my youth along with her mom and half of sisters during the Christiansted. Heegard used their unique wits and you will charm to form liaisons that have St. Croix’s wealthiest and you will powerful men, in the course of time crossing paths on the Governor-Standard soon shortly after their coming during the 1827. From the that point, she had by herself be a relatively successful woman.
Heegard and the Governor-Standard first started appointment continuously to talk about brand new predicament of your own 100 % free Colored population and she is considered keeps helped him prepare a list of social reforms that he presented to the newest Danish Queen, just who designated a fee to review and you can perform the fresh laws and regulations getting personal fairness to have low-whites from the D.W.I. . Reforms to your “unfree” eventually included – a managed duration of workday, curtail away from corporal punishment, banning of social slave deals, a good reprieve to have expecting mothers, facilities out of colleges and you will houses advancements. Von Scholten including spent some time working to help you lift barriers free of charge black and you may coloured some one – position all of them in public areas positions and you can hosting racially included social features, to add his own dinner parties presided more from the Heegard. They stayed while the man and spouse for the majority off one or two ily during the Denmark, and finally the pair compensated during the Bulows Minde Estate Domestic outside Christiansted.