Resistance
12 facts
Haitian Revolution Begins
Enslaved people in the French colony of Saint-Domingue launched the largest and most successful slave uprising in the Western Hemisphere.
Queen Nzinga Begins Resistance Against Portuguese
Queen Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba began her decades-long resistance against Portuguese colonization and the slave trade in present-day Angola.
Yanga Establishes Free Black Settlement in Mexico
Gaspar Yanga, a formerly enslaved African, led a community of escaped slaves in Veracruz, Mexico, establishing one of the first free Black settlements in the Americas.
Quilombo dos Palmares Founded in Brazil
Escaped enslaved Africans established Quilombo dos Palmares, the largest and longest-lasting maroon settlement in the Americas, in northeastern Brazil.
Zumbi dos Palmares Killed
Zumbi, the last leader of Quilombo dos Palmares in Brazil, was killed by Portuguese colonial forces. November 20 is now celebrated as Black Consciousness Day in Brazil.
Stono Rebellion in South Carolina
The Stono Rebellion, the largest slave uprising in British North America before the American Revolution, erupted near Charleston, South Carolina.
Denmark Vesey's Planned Slave Revolt Discovered
The planned slave uprising organized by Denmark Vesey in Charleston, South Carolina, was betrayed before it could begin.
Robert Smalls Commandeers Confederate Ship
Enslaved pilot Robert Smalls commandeered a Confederate military vessel and sailed it to freedom.
Jamaican Maroons Sign Peace Treaty with British
The Jamaican Maroons, communities of escaped enslaved Africans, signed a peace treaty with the British after decades of guerrilla warfare in the Blue Mountains.
Queen Nanny of the Maroons Born
Queen Nanny, the legendary Ashanti warrior-leader of the Jamaican Maroons, was born in what is now Ghana. She is Jamaica's only female National Hero.
Slave Revolt in Hispaniola
The first recorded slave revolt in the Americas took place at the sugar plantation of Diego Colón on the island of Hispaniola.
Tacky's Rebellion in Jamaica
Tacky, an enslaved Akan chief from Ghana, led one of the largest slave revolts in the British Caribbean, shaking Jamaica's plantation system.