09/09/2021
On this day in 1739, a band of over 60 African captives organized a rebellion on the banks of the Stono River and demanded freedom from South Carolina plantations. The band was led by an Angolan (or Congolese by some accounts) named Jemmy, also known as Cato,
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The Stono Rebellion is the earliest known "slave revolt" in the colonies before the start of the American Revolution.
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In response to the rebellion, the Negro Act of 1740, which made it illegal for captive Africans to move abroad, assemble in groups, raise food, earn money, and learn to write.
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