Stono Rebellion
1739 · Early Modern
The Stono Rebellion was a significant slave uprising that began on September 9, 1739, in the colony of South Carolina. Led by an enslaved African named Jemmy, about 20 slaves gathered near the Stono River, raided Hutchinson's store for weapons, and marched south toward Spanish Florida where freedom had been promised. The group grew to 60-100 people before being intercepted by militia near the Edisto River. The rebellion resulted in approximately 40 white and 40 black deaths and led to the passage of the restrictive Negro Act of 1740. It was the largest slave rebellion in colonial British America.
Key Figures
JemmyWilliam Bull
Locations
Stono RiverHutchinson's StoreEdisto River
Topics
slaveryblack historyUSA
Connected Events — 2 Connections
The Stono Rebellion of 1739 directly prompted the South Carolina legislature to draft and pass the Negro Act, imposing sweeping restrictions on enslaved people to prevent future uprisings Negro Act of 1740
Establishment of African slavery in English North America beginning at Virginia created the enslaved population whose descendants organized the Stono Rebellion First Africans Arrive in Virginia
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