In honor of Global Ladies’ Time and you may VI Record Few days, we are reflecting around three daring women so you’re able to which the Region owes good high debt. There is still work to-be over, this is why we review attain determination and you may encouragement on Virgin Islanders that have went ahead of all of us.
King Mary
Mary Thomas, known as Queen Mary, (california. 1848–1905) was one of many leadership of 1878 “Fireburn” labor riot, or uprising, on the island off St. Croix.
Mary Thomas try out-of Antigua and you can arrived in St. Croix on 1860s when planning on taking focus on the newest plantations inside new area. Pursuing the 1848 emancipation regarding enslaved Africans regarding the Danish West Indies, an 1849 labor laws repaired wages and you can labor standards for everybody plantation professionals and Najbolji naДЌin za dobivanje mladenke za narudЕѕbu poЕЎte you may banned bargaining getting best earnings otherwise work conditions. Which generated plantation functions unsightly and many experts registered to exit the new plantations additionally the islands, to look for most readily useful conditions elsewhere. The government reacted on work shortage through they more complicated to help you for experts to go out of the islands, demanding health certificates and you will recharging charges to have passports. When wages were to feel negotiated throughout the slip away from 1878, new workers’ need was in fact rejected, and you can the harsh requirements getting take a trip was basically enforced. It stimulated the fresh so-named Fireburn riots, which have been called the premier labor riot when you look at the Danish records, and you can during which more 50 ranches was in fact burnt.
On account of their own part while the a frontrunner in uprising elizabeth to be called “King Mary”. The employees chose their unique as well as 2 most other female, “King Agnes” and you may “Queen Matilda”, because “queens” to execute ritual and celebratory attributes within the uprising. King Mary is detained and attempted with other leadership of the work uprising. From the demo of the labor leaders Thomas are sentenced in order to passing for arson and you will looting but had their sentence commuted so you’re able to life imprisonment, and was transferred to Copenhagen and you will put at the Ladies’ Jail, Christianshavn within the 1882, however in 1887 are delivered back so you can Christiansted, St. Croix to help you suffice the remainder of their particular phrase.
Anna Heegaard
Anna Heegaard stays a fascinating contour from inside the Virgin Countries background. This woman is credited having improving conditions toward enslaved African and “100 % free Colored” society of your own Danish West Indies throughout the 19th century once the a result of their particular 20 year relationship with the new islands’ Governor General, Peter von Scholten.
Depending on the Encyclopedia off Antislavery & Abolition, “Heegard let me make it clear swayed the new direction to have legal and social equivalence to possess free black colored folk on the Danish West Indies.” Heegaard was born in St. Croix inside January from 1790 in order to solitary parents named a beneficial “100 % free mulatto woman” and a good Danish Regulators clerk. She spent my youth along with her mother and you will 50 % of siblings inside the Christiansted. Heegard relied on their unique wits and you may charm to form liaisons having St. Croix’s wealthiest and you may effective men, sooner or later crossing paths on the Governor-Standard soon just after their arrival in the 1827. Because of the the period, she had herself feel a relatively successful woman.
Heegard while the Governor-Standard began meeting on a regular basis to go over new plight of the 100 % free Colored inhabitants and you can this woman is said to has helped your ready yourself a listing of public reforms which he presented to this new Danish King, which appointed a fee to study and you may carry out the fresh new laws and regulations to possess social fairness to have low-whites in the D.W.We. . Reforms towards “unfree” fundamentally incorporated – a managed length of workday, reduce off corporal discipline, banning out of social slave deals, an effective reprieve to own expecting mothers, institution out of schools and you can homes developments. Von Scholten and additionally has worked so you can elevator barriers 100% free black and colored individuals – position them in public areas ranking and you may hosting racially incorporated public attributes, to incorporate his personal food functions presided over because of the Heegard. They existed while the people and you will wife for the majority of out of a couple of ily inside Denmark, and in the end the pair paid in the Bulows Minde Home Family outside of Christiansted.