Stono Rebellion facts for kids
The Stono Rebellion (also known as Cato's Conspiracy or Cato's Rebellion) was a large slave rebellion that happened in the colony of South Carolina on September 9, 1739. It was the biggest uprising of enslaved people in the British colonies in mainland America. About 25 colonists and 35 to 50 Africans died during the event.
The rebellion was led by Africans who had been brought from the Kingdom of Kongo in Central Africa. Some of them even spoke Portuguese. Their leader, Jemmy, could read and write. He was sometimes called "Cato" and likely belonged to the Cato or Cater family. They lived near the Ashley River and north of the Stono River.
Jemmy led about 20 other enslaved people from Kongo. Some might have been soldiers before. They marched south from the Stono River, which is how the rebellion got its name. Their goal was to reach Spanish Florida. Spain had promised freedom and land in St. Augustine to enslaved people who escaped from British colonies. This was part of Spain's plan to weaken British rule.
Jemmy and his group gathered almost 60 more enslaved people. They killed more than 20 white people before the South Carolina militia stopped them. The militia defeated them near the Edisto River. Some enslaved people escaped and traveled another 30 miles (48 km). They fought the militia again a week later. Most of the captured enslaved people were executed. The few who survived were sold to markets in the West Indies.
After the rebellion, the South Carolina government passed the Negro Act of 1740. This law made it harder for enslaved people to gather, learn, or move around. It also stopped the import of African slaves for 10 years. This was because newly arrived Africans were seen as more likely to rebel. The law also set rules against harsh treatment of enslaved people by their owners. It made it much harder for slave owners to free enslaved people, as they now needed government approval.
Contents
Why the Rebellion Happened
Local Reasons
Since 1708, most people in the South Carolina colony were enslaved Africans. More and more enslaved people were brought from Africa to work on farms growing cotton and rice. These crops were sold to other countries. Historians call this time the "Plantation Generation." Slavery was very important to South Carolina's economy. Many enslaved people were from the Kingdom of Kongo, which had become Catholic in the 1400s. Some enslaved people were first sent to the British West Indies to get "seasoned" to slavery before coming to South Carolina.
As the number of enslaved people grew, colonists tried to control them. But enslaved people often resisted by running away, working slowly, or rebelling. At that time, Georgia was a colony without slavery. South Carolina worked with Georgia to create patrols on land and by the coast. These patrols tried to stop enslaved people from reaching Spanish Florida.
The enslaved people in the Stono Rebellion might have been inspired by several things. Spanish Florida offered freedom to enslaved people who escaped from British colonies. Spain had announced this promise, and agents spread the word. They offered freedom and land to those who reached Florida. There was also tension between England and Spain over land in southern North America. This made enslaved people hopeful about reaching Spanish territory, especially Fort Mosé, a free black community near St. Augustine, founded in 1738. Stono was about 150 miles (241 km) from the Florida border.
A malaria sickness had recently killed many white people in Charleston. This made slave owners weaker. Also, historians think the enslaved people planned their revolt for a Sunday. On Sundays, slave owners would be in church and might not have their weapons. The Security Act of 1739 had been passed in August. It required all white men to carry weapons, even to church. But it hadn't fully started yet. Local officials could fine white men who didn't carry weapons after September 29.
African Background
Jemmy, the leader, could read and write. He was described as "Angolan." Historian John K. Thornton believes he was more likely from the Kingdom of Kongo in west Central Africa. This kingdom had long traded with Portuguese merchants. Jemmy's group of 20 enslaved people were also called "Angolan" and were probably Kongolese. They were described as Catholic, and some spoke Portuguese. They learned Portuguese from traders in the Kongo Empire. The Kongo leaders became Catholic in 1491, and their people followed. By the 1700s, Catholicism was a big part of their identity.
Portuguese was a language used for trade and by educated people in Kongo. Enslaved people who spoke Portuguese in South Carolina might have heard about Spain's offers of freedom. They would also have been drawn to the Catholic faith of Spanish Florida. In the early 1700s, Kongo had civil wars. This led to more people being captured and sold into slavery, including trained soldiers. It's possible Jemmy and his group were soldiers. They fought hard against the militia and killed 20 men.
The Rebellion's Events
On Sunday, September 9, 1739, Jemmy gathered 22 enslaved Africans near the Stono River, about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Charleston. Historian Mark M. Smith suggests that choosing the day after the Feast of the Nativity of Mary connected their Catholic past to their rebellion. The Africans marched with a banner that said "Liberty!" and chanted the word. They attacked Hutchenson's store at the Stono River Bridge. They killed two storekeepers and took weapons and ammunition.
Raising a flag, the enslaved people marched south toward Spanish Florida. This was a known safe place for runaways. Along the way, they gathered more people, some of whom joined unwillingly. Their group grew to 81 people. They burned six farms and killed 23 to 28 white people. South Carolina's Lieutenant Governor William Bull and five friends were riding horses when they saw the group. They quickly rode off to warn other slave owners. The colonists formed a militia of farmers and slave owners. They went to confront Jemmy and his followers.
The next day, the militia, with 19 to 99 well-armed men, caught up with the 76 enslaved people near the Edisto River. In the fight, 23 white people and 47 enslaved people were killed. Even though the enslaved people lost, they killed more white people proportionally than in later rebellions. The lieutenant governor hired Chickasaw and Catawba Indians and other enslaved people to find and capture those who escaped. A group of escaped enslaved people fought another battle with the militia a week later, about 30 miles (48 km) from the first fight. Most of the rebellious enslaved people were executed. Others were sold to markets in the West Indies.
What Happened After
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Stono River Slave Rebellion Site
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Site where the rebellion began, photographed 2013.
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| Nearest city | Rantowles, South Carolina |
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| Built | 1739 |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001840 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | 30 May 1974 |
| Designated NHL | 30 May 1974 |
Over the next two years, other slave uprisings happened in Georgia and South Carolina. Officials thought these were inspired by the Stono Rebellion. But historians believe the increasingly harsh conditions of slavery were enough reason for the revolts.
Slave owners decided to have more enslaved people born in the colony. They thought these workers would be happier if they grew up enslaved. They blamed the rebellion on recently imported Africans. So, they stopped importing slaves through Charleston for 10 years. When the port opened again, they brought enslaved people from different areas, not from the Congo-Angolan region.
The government also passed the Negro Act of 1740 to gain more control. It required one white person for every ten black people on a farm. It stopped enslaved people from growing their own food, meeting in groups, earning money, or learning to read. The law also allowed white people to question black people traveling without passes.
The government also tried to make slavery conditions better to avoid problems. It set punishments for owners who demanded too much work or treated enslaved people cruelly. But these rules were hard to enforce. Enslaved people could not testify against white people in court. They also started a school to teach enslaved people Christian beliefs. At the same time, the government tried to stop enslaved people from being freed. They thought that free black people made enslaved people restless. Slave owners now needed permission from the government to free an enslaved person. Before, they could do it privately. South Carolina kept these rules against freeing slaves until slavery ended after the American Civil War.
Legacy
The site of Hutchinson's warehouse, where the revolt started, was named a National Historic Landmark in 1974. A South Carolina Historical Marker is also at the site.
The marker says:
The Stono Rebellion (1739) The rebels were joined by 40 to 60 more during their 15-mile march. They killed at least 20 whites, but spared others. The rebellion ended late that afternoon when the militia caught the rebels, killing at least 54 of them. Most who escaped were captured and executed; any forced to join the rebels were released. The S.C. assembly [sic] soon enacted a harsh slave code, in force until 1865.
Images for kids
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Site where the rebellion began, photographed 2013.
