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During the 1600s up to the 1800s,
Barbados was typically a slavery island.
The British overlords brought in slaves from
Africa who made them work the plantations.
Tobacco was the first plantation crops of
Barbados but was later replaced by sugar.
The sugar industry developed and in a few
years time became its main commercial
product.
Where there is slavery, there is
suppression and discontentment, pre-
cursors for a rebellion. The slaves had
occasional revolts but the rebellion in 1816
led by Bussa was so far the most tragic
one. Bussa was able to lead twenty
thousand slaves from 70 plantations. They
drove off any whites off away from the
plantations but no white blood was shed.
The British overlords responded by killing
120 slaves in dispersing the rebellion and
another 144 were executed.
