This type of feminine had been very early trailblazers on the road to a beneficial Virgin Islands where women features independence, equivalence and you will power
Honoring Around the globe Women’s Time and VI Record Times, we are showing around three courageous female in order to who new Territory owes a good great debt. You will find continue to work to get done, that is the reason we look back to gain motivation and you may reassurance about Virgin Islanders who possess moved before you.
King Mary
Mary Thomas, also known as Queen Mary, (california. 1848–1905) try among the many frontrunners of 1878 “Fireburn” labor riot, or uprising, into island out-of St. Croix.
Mary Thomas is actually of Antigua and you can arrived in St. Croix regarding the 1860s when deciding to take focus on new ranches in the brand new isle. After the 1848 emancipation off enslaved Africans from the Danish Western Indies, an 1849 work laws repaired salaries and labor standards for all plantation gurus and banned negotiating having greatest earnings or works conditions. That it generated plantation functions unappealing and many workers signed up to go away the fresh plantations therefore the islands, to seek finest criteria somewhere else. The us government answered into work lack by making they more complicated in order to to have experts to depart the islands, demanding wellness permits and you can recharging fees to have passports. When wages were to getting negotiated about fall of 1878, the new workers’ demands was in fact refused, and the new harsh conditions to own traveling was implemented. That it stimulated new therefore-entitled Fireburn riots, that have been known as largest work riot inside the Danish records, and you can during which over fifty ranches have been burnt.
Because of their own role as the a commander within the uprising elizabeth are also known as “Queen Mary”. The staff selected their unique as well as 2 other female, “King Agnes” and you may “Queen Matilda”, as the “queens” to perform routine and you will celebratory properties for the uprising. King Mary are detained and you will experimented with along with other frontrunners of the labor uprising. Within trial of your own labor leaders Thomas are sentenced so you’re able to passing to possess arson and you may looting however, got their own sentence commuted so you’re able to life imprisonment, and you will was gone to live in Copenhagen and you will put in the Women’s Jail, Christianshavn during the 1882, however in 1887 try delivered back to Christiansted, St. Croix to serve the rest of their unique sentence.
Anna Heegaard
Anna Heegaard stays an interesting figure into the Virgin Countries record. She is credited that have boosting conditions to the enslaved African and you will “Totally free Colored” people of the Danish Western Indies regarding the 19th century because a direct result her 20 12 months experience the sites of the brand new islands’ Governor General, Peter von Scholten.
Depending on the Encyclopedia of Antislavery & Abolition, “Heegard indeed influenced the new course to have court and you will public equivalence for totally free black men on the Danish West Indies.” Heegaard was born in St. Croix during the January of 1790 so you’re able to single parents named an effective “totally free mulatto lady” and a Danish Regulators clerk. She grew up with her mother and you may half of siblings from inside the Christiansted. Heegard made use of her wits and you will charm to create liaisons which have St. Croix’s wealthiest and strong dudes, fundamentally crossing pathways towards Governor-General soon immediately after their arrival when you look at the 1827. Because of the that time, she had herself feel a relatively successful lady.
Heegard and Governor-General began meeting regularly to go over the newest predicament of your own Free Coloured populace and you may she actually is considered features aided your prepare a listing of societal reforms that he made available to new Danish Queen, who appointed a fee to analyze and you will create the fresh guidelines having social justice to own low-whites regarding D.W.I. . Reforms to your “unfree” fundamentally included – a regulated amount of work-day, curtail regarding corporal abuse, forbidding regarding personal servant deals, a great reprieve to possess expecting mothers, establishment regarding colleges and you can casing improvements. Von Scholten together with spent some time working in order to lift barriers at no cost black and colored anyone – placing all of them in public places positions and you may hosting racially incorporated personal services, to provide his personal dinner events presided more by the Heegard. They stayed given that guy and you can partner for the majority of a couple ily into the Denmark, and finally the two paid from the Bulows Minde Property Household away from Christiansted.