"No People Were Ever Rescued from a Danger More Imminent"

In September 1727, three months after the death of George I, news reached the Leeward Islands that Great Britain had a new king, and their legislatures solemnly proclaimed his accesion. To mark the occasion "an ox was roasted whole" in Antigua "and three hogsheads of beer [were] distributed to the poor inhabitants; while a splendid entertainment was provided for the governor and the gentry ... at the public expense." William Mathew, lieutenant governor of this group of islands, reported that on September 30 the "Troop of Militia Horse, the Town Militia & five Companys of the Kings Regiment" quartered in Antigua were "all under Arms." The legislature met in special session. "All were Entertained at the Publick Expence," wrote Mathew, "above Two Hundred Pieces of Cannon [were] fird among the afternoon rejoicings, [and] a Great Bonfire was Prepard in the Markett Place, but the Evening Provd Stormy, & Twas feard [the fire] might Endanger the Town, being mostly Timber Built. The night concluded the Diversions. The proclamation was Signd, And an Address to His Majesty." Similar activities took place in the other three main Leeward Island colonies, St. Christopher, Nevis, and Montserrat.

Later, when George II was crowned, the Leeward Islands gentry celebrated once more, and every October thereafter the Antigua gentry held a ball to commemorate the king's coronation. Preparations for the ball of 1736 were well under way when the authorities unearthed a slave conspiracy "whereby all the White Inhabitants ... were to be murdered, & a new form of Government ... Established, by the Slaves, among themselves, and they intirely to possess the Island."

The timely discovery of what turned out to be an elaborate scheme shook the white community. "Here has been a general Stop to all Business occasion'd by the Happy Discovery of an accursed Negro Plot," wrote a distraught resident on October 24. Over several weeks, suspects were arrested, tried, and executed, and many whites, fearing that the slaves would still revolt, remained on their guard and slept uneasily. "You can't expect a long letter from one who hath had but two nights sleep since the 17th instant occasion'd by the providencial Discovery of a Plott among the Negroes here, for a general Massacre," another harrassed resident wrote dramatically seven days later, adding that the plot was "carried on by the very top Negroes of this Island, and such as were indulged in such liberty that they kept one or two Horses a piece and were so entirely trusted by their Masters, that it was with great difficulty, any Crime was believed against them." Most whites would probably have agreed with one observer who confessed, after a number of executions had taken place, that the affair had caught most people by surprise and sown confusion in the tiny colony.

The judges of the first court appointed to try the slaves conceded in their general report that it was difficult to "fix certainly the Person, and precisely the Time, by whom and when, this design was first set on foot ... it being something, tho not very doubtful, whether Court or Tomboy first moved it; tho generally imputed to the former." They could not be sure when the plans were first laid because it was "most difficult" to determine "from the Evidence given by the Slaves," who, they said, "are not acquainted with our manner, nor indeed Certain manner of Computing it [time]." Although unsure of the slaves' system of time reckoning, the judges nevertheless concluded, after having sifted through slave confessions, testimony, and other information, that the plot was an islandwide affair that had been "undoubtedly in Agitation" since November 1735, if not earlier. The "first Author," or mastermind behind the plot, was the Coromantee slave Court, alias Tackey, aged about forty-five, belonging to Thomas Kerby, justice of the peace and speaker of the assembly. Court's chief accomplice was Tomboy, the Creole (island-born) slave of Thomas Hanson, Antigua merchant and planter.

Court, Tomboy, and the other slave leaders involved in the conspiracy planned an islandwide insurrection to commence on the night of Monday, October 11, when the annual ball commemorating the king's coronation was to have been held in the capital town, St. John's, in a "great house" owned by Christopher Dunbar, probably a prominent island figure. A carpenter by trade, Tomboy was to have secured the job of making the ballroom seats in order to get into the house and plant gunpowder there "to blow up all the Gentry of the Island while they were in the height of their mirth." In their report the judges explained that "when the Company was dancing, fire was to be set to three trains, upon the Notice of firing a Gun and beating a Drum, which were a Notice also to the Negro Musicians and Attendance (who were to be let into the Secret) first to depart." Then, "When the Blast was over, and all in the utmost Confusion, Three at least, if not four Partys, intended to Consist of 3 or 400 men each, were to Enter the Town at Different parts, and to put all the White people there to the Sword." Meanwhile, "Seven Strong Guards [were] to be placed in the out parts of the Town, to prevent Relief" from reaching the beleaguered whites. "St. Johns Fort [was] to be Seized with all the Shipping in the Harbour, and Signals [were] to be given to those in the Countrey, to begin there the same tragical Scene, and proceed onwards to the Town, destroying all in their way." The slaves had also planned to seize Monk's Hill, "our chief Fort and Arsenal" noted the judges, "and the Arms distributed; The Guard there destroy'd, and all the Avenues secured by strong Guards of Slaves."

For months the slave leaders had gone about planning their revolt and recruiting followers. Though they were careful not to arouse the suspicions of whites, their luck ran out when the authorities postponed the ball to October 30, the king's birthday, and forced them to reconsider their plans. A critical dispute arose at this point "whether or not they Should Execute their Plot, by immediately falling on with fire and Sword, or wait for the ball." Tomboy "being young & fiery was for falling on directly, but King Court being of a more phlegmatic temper opposed him, & was willing the business should be done with as little loss of their side as possible." Court obviously preferred not to discard the originally carefully drawn-up plans in favor of a new, hastily devised scheme that might have had to be very differently organized. Had Tomboy had his way, Antigua would probably have been rocked by a full-scale slave revolt at a time when probably no astute observer of...