Cuffy & The 1763 Berbice Slave Rebellion

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Cuffy & The 1763 Berbice Slave Rebellion
1763
Notable: Revolutionary + Event
Location: Berbice, Guyana

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YouTube Video

Podcast Episode

Show Notes

In 1763, a man by the name of Cuffy led a slave rebellion in what is present-day Guyana. Cuffy was an Akan man who was captured and enslaved in West Africa and brought to Berbice which was a Dutch colony at the time. It’s believed that food shortages, brutality towards slaves, the Dutch being weakened by illness, and the driving presence of African-born slaves resulted in the uprising of over 2000 slaves.

Cuffy became the leader of the revolt, named himself Governor of Berbice, and established order with the assistance of another slave named Akara. Unfortunately, infighting between the revolutionaries and a military response from the Dutch ultimately rendered the 1763 Uprising unsuccessful.

Cuffy was eventually killed by the Dutch but is now considered a national hero in Guyana. Republic Day is celebrated on February 23rd to mark the anniversary of the slave rebellion. In celebration of Guyana’s 10th year of independence, the 1763 Monument was erected in the Brickdam area of Georgetown to commemorate the 1763 Great (Slave) Rebellion.

Works Cited

• The 1763 Monument, Brickdam, Georgetown, Guyana.
• The 1763 Berbice Slave Rebellion, Guyana Museum of African Heritage, Georgetown, Guyana.

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