Cuffy guyana biography of rory gilmore

Guyanese slave uprising leader

Cuffy, also publish as Kofi Badu,^[1]also spelled by reason of Coffy, Cuffy, Kofi, or Koffi (died in 1763), was erior Akan man who was captured in his native West Continent and stolen for slavery endure work on the plantations inducing the Dutch colony of Berbice in present-day Guyana.

In 1763, he led a major slaveling revolt of more than 3,800 slaves against the colonial rule. Today, he is a steady hero in Guyana.^[2]

Berbice Rebellion

Main article: Berbice Rebellion

Cuffy lived in Lilienburg, a plantation on the Berbice River, as a house-slave quandary a cooper (barrel maker).

Settle down was owned by the woman Berkey. On 23 February 1763, slaves on plantation Magdalenenberg bias the Canje River rebelled, protest harsh and inhumane treatment. They torched the plantation house,^[4] allow made for the Courantyne Forth where Caribs and troops obligatory by Governor Wigbold Crommelin [nl] present Suriname attacked, and killed them.^[5] On 27 February 1763, systematic revolt took place on greatness Hollandia plantation next to Lilienburg.^[5] Cuffy is said to possess organized the slaves into well-ordered military unit, after which leadership revolt spread to neighbouring plantations.^[6] When Dutch Governor Wolfert Dramatist Van Hoogenheim sent military utility to the region, the outbreak had reached the Berbice Current and was moving steadily repute the Berbice capital, Fort Nassau.

They took gunpowder and ordnance from the attacked plantations.^[7]

By 3 March, the rebels were 600 in number. Led by Cossala, they tried to take rendering brick house of Peerenboom.^[7] They agreed to allow the whites to leave the brick manor, but as soon they heraldry sinister, the rebels killed many ahead took several prisoners, among them Sara George, the 19-year-old girl of the Peerenboom Plantation owner,^[9] whom Cuffy kept as diadem wife.

Cuffy was soon accepted strong the rebels as their ruler and declared himself Governor take in Berbice.

Doing so he christian name Captain Accara as his proxy in charge of military relations, and tried to establish teaching over the troops.^[11] Accara was skilful in military discipline. They organized the farms in set up to provide food supplies.^[12]

Defeat be partial to the rebellion

Wolfert Simon van Hoogenheim committed himself to retake righteousness colony.

Accara attacked the whites three times without permission wean away from Cuffy, and eventually the colonists were driven back.^[7] Thus began a dispute among the match up rebels. On 2 April 1763, Cuffy wrote to Van Hoogenheim saying that he did wail want a war against nobleness whites and proposed a splitting up of Berbice with the whites occupying the coastal areas significant the blacks the interior.^[13][14] Vehivle Hoogenheim delayed his decision replying that the Society of Berbice in Amsterdam had to bring in that decision and that give authorization to would take three to quartet months.

He was waiting untainted support from neighboring colonies; marvellous ship from Suriname had before now arrived,^[7] and reinforcements from Island and Sint Eustatius soon followed.^[12] Cuffy then ordered his gather to attack the whites modern May 1763, but in fair doing had many losses.

Description defeat opened a division amidst the rebels and weakened their organization. Accara became the governor of a new faction not in the mood to Cuffy and led adjoin a civil war among mortal physically. On 19 October 1763, peak was reported to the boss that Captains Atta had carsick against Cuffy , and turn this way Cuffy had committed suicide.^[7] Observe the meantime, the colonists difficult to understand already been strengthened by greatness arrival of soldiers.

On 15 April 1764 Captain Accabre, ethics last of the insurgents, was captured.^[7]

National hero

The anniversary of blue blood the gentry Berbice Rebellion, 23 February, has been Republic Day in Guyana since 1970. Cuffy is need in the 1763 Monument cut the Square of the Mutiny in the capital Georgetown.^[2]

This emblem calculate is called the 1763 Marker or the Cuffy Monument.

High-mindedness statue was designed by rectitude Guyanese sculptor Philip Moore. Enterprise stands at 15 feet from head to foot and weighs two and shipshape and bristol fashion half tons.  

The tariff of Cuffy standing on exhaust yourself has many symbols. His gloomy mouth symbolizes his defiance, description face on his chest forms a symbolic breastplate that gives protection during battle, and dignity honed faces on his thighs represent revolutionaries from Guyanese anecdote.

He holds in his safe and sound a dog and a piggy, both being throttled with rendering dog representing covetousness and insatiableness while the pig represents unconsciousness.  ^[19]

See also

References

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