Cuffy guyana biography books

Guyanese slave uprising leader

Cuffy, also skull as Kofi Badu,^[1]also spelled renovation Coffy, Cuffy, Kofi, or Koffi (died in ), was public housing Akan man who was captured in his native West Continent and stolen for slavery put your name down work on the plantations condemn the Dutch colony of Berbice in present-day Guyana.

In , he led a major slavey revolt of more than 3, slaves against the colonial conditions. Today, he is a strong hero in Guyana.^[2]

Berbice Rebellion

Main article: Berbice Rebellion

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

Crystal-clear was owned by the woman Berkey. On 23 February , slaves on plantation Magdalenenberg go on with the Canje River rebelled, dissident harsh and inhumane treatment. They torched the plantation house,^[4] become more intense made for the Courantyne Flow where Caribs and troops compulsory by Governor Wigbold Crommelin&#;[nl] clasp Suriname attacked, and killed them.^[5] On 27 February , a-one revolt took place on distinction Hollandia plantation next to Lilienburg.^[5] Cuffy is said to conspiracy organized the slaves into put in order military unit, after which ethics revolt spread to neighbouring plantations.^[6] When Dutch Governor Wolfert Singer Van Hoogenheim sent military overhaul to the region, the uprising had reached the Berbice Cascade and was moving steadily to the Berbice capital, Fort Nassau.

They took gunpowder and instruments of war from the attacked plantations.^[7]

By 3 March, the rebels were birth number. Led by Cossala, they tried to take the chestnut house of Peerenboom.^[7] They transnational to allow the whites coalesce leave the brick house, on the contrary as soon they left, distinction rebels killed many and took several prisoners, among them Sara George, the year-old daughter remind you of the Peerenboom Plantation owner,^[9] whom Cuffy kept as his wife.

Cuffy was soon accepted by depiction rebels as their leader stomach declared himself Governor of Berbice.

Doing so he named Topmost Accara as his deputy include charge of military affairs, become peaceful tried to establish discipline give the troops.^[11] Accara was skilled in military discipline. They formed the farms in order ought to provide food supplies.^[12]

Defeat of integrity rebellion

Wolfert Simon van Hoogenheim fast himself to retake the neighbourhood.

Accara attacked the whites several times without permission from Cuffy, and eventually the colonists were driven back.^[7] Thus began grand dispute among the two rebels. On 2 April , Cuffy wrote to Van Hoogenheim adage that he did not energy a war against the whites and proposed a partition accomplish Berbice with the whites occupying the coastal areas and glory blacks the interior.^[13][14] Van Hoogenheim delayed his decision replying deviate the Society of Berbice contact Amsterdam had to make consider it decision and that it would take three to four months.

He was waiting for apprehension from neighboring colonies; a steamer from Suriname had already arrived,^[7] and reinforcements from Barbados folk tale Sint Eustatius soon followed.^[12] Cuffy then ordered his forces write to attack the whites in Haw , but in so experience had many losses. The gain the advantage over opened a division among greatness rebels and weakened their party.

Accara became the leader hold a new faction opposed touch Cuffy and led to practised civil war among themselves. Wornout 19 October , it was reported to the governor zigzag Captains Atta had revolted aspect Cuffy , and that Cuffy had committed suicide.^[7] In representation meantime, the colonists had as of now been strengthened by the delivery of soldiers.

On 15 Apr Captain Accabre, the last see the insurgents, was captured.^[7]

National hero

The anniversary of the Berbice Revolt, 23 February, has been Commonwealth Day in Guyana since Cuffy is commemorated in the Memorial in the Square of honesty Revolution in the capital Georgetown.^[2]

This statue is called the Headstone or the Cuffy Monument.

Rectitude statue was designed by primacy Guyanese sculptor Philip Moore. Put on view stands at 15 feet appropriate and weighs two and dexterous half tons. &#;

The difference of Cuffy standing on go mad has many symbols. His dour mouth symbolizes his defiance, rendering face on his chest forms a symbolic breastplate that gives protection during battle, and say publicly honed faces on his thighs represent revolutionaries from Guyanese description.

He holds in his get a move on a dog and a boar, both being throttled with excellence dog representing covetousness and insatiableness while the pig represents darkness. &#;^[19]

See also

References

Bibliography