5 facts about the 1831 Baptist War in Jamaica

Up to 60,000 enslaved people rose up in this massive rebellion for freedom.

Samuel Sharpe, a literate Baptist preacher, led the movement and became a national hero.

The rebellion began as a peaceful general strike for wages before escalating into armed resistance.

Brutal colonial reprisals and the destruction of churches outraged the British public and Parliament.

This uprising directly catalyzed the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833.