Kyla Scott

October 9, 2015
Persevering our heritage

Enterprise enforcing emancipation

Slavery was time that separated blacks from the rest of the world. It means that one
person has absolute power over the life, fortune, and liberty of another individual. Bermuda was
reported by Juan de Bermudez, a Spanish explorer, who discovered Bermuda in 1503 or 1515.
However, the Spanish did not claim the islands, but they soon became an important navigational
landmark for galleons crossing the Atlantic between Spain and the New World. Emancipation is
the star of procuring economic and social rights, political rights or equality that the slaves wanted
more than anything. Alexandria, Virginia were abducted and bought on the slavery ship, the
enterprise. The first slaves were brought to Bermuda soon after the colony was established. Even
with this, Bermuda's 17th Century agricultural economy did not become dependent on slavery.
Slaves wanted to be respected like equals, to do this it came to the start of emancipation. The
Enterprise incident demonstrated Bermudas commitment to Emancipation. By the previous
slaves that lived during the 1700s to the1800s slaves.

Throughout the year 1833, slaves were obtained by sales, purchase, auction debt, legal
seizure or sometimes by gifts. The price of a slave depended on the masters demand. In addition
to this, women were sold at 10 to 20, children about 8, and bodied Black and Indian men for
around 26. I felt that if I chose this topic on slavery, I feel that this is important to me because, I
will about my great great great grandmother Mahala MacKenzie (Warfield) one of the slaves that
was on the enterprise. And because learn about the past you can kind of see how the future what
it be like. I find this interesting because it reference to the slaves who a lot of people are related
to in Bermuda as well as where they come from before being kidnap on the enterprise. I also pick
this topic because somewhere I wanted to learn about of other things, not just Bermuda, but be
opened to new things instead. (That and I was curious about my ancestors)

The enterprise was a slavery ship that carried 79 slaves between Alexandria, Virginia and
Charleston, South Carolina, that told seven days to gather the slaves. The American brig
Enterprise, was thrown of course due to a hurricane which caused it to head for the British
colony, known as Hamilton, Bermuda. It was around 1832 that Richard Tucker intervened
founded the local black Young Men's Friendly Lodge (mutual aid group). After that he obtained
a writ of habeas corpus (It is a legal action or writ by means of which detainees can seek relief
from unlawful imprisonment.) from the court compelling the captain, Elliot Smith, to bring the
slaves "before the Chief Justice and answer for themselves whether they would proceed with the
vessel to her destined port and continue being slaves, or remain at Bermuda and be free. Slaves

were set free in Bermuda on August 1, 1834 which is now emancipation day where Bermudians
celebrated the remembrances of slavery.
To sum it all up, enterprise enforcing emancipation means that they slaves worked
themselves to obtain their freedom even if it cost them their life. They didnt want that for their
grandchildren or the ones in the coming future. Because they believed that they have the strength
to achieve whatever they want, thats one thing that a lot of people lack nowadays. Slaves wanted
to be respected like equals, and wanted the future grandchildren to be respected and be equal to
anybody they come across.