On August 17th, 1795 a slave revolt began on Curaçao led by Tula, which ended in the execution of more than one hundred enslaved people. The extremely cruel execution of the leaders of the rebellion is engraved in the memory of many Antilleans.
August 17th marks the national day in the Antilles that commemorates the uprising and honors its leaders. This day has been established in 1985 by means of a proclamation. In that year, the Parke Lucha di pa Libertat (Park for the Freedom Struggle) also opened.
Unlike Suriname – where July 1st is celebrated as the day of freedom, the day when slavery was officially abolished, – the Antilleans hold on to August 17th as a national day for freedom.
This book discusses different themes: Don Martina, former Prime Minister of the Dutch Antilles, discusses the importance of 1795 for the current position of the Antilleans partly in relation to the Netherlands. Charles do Rego discusses the relationship between the uprising and the French Revolution. Surinamese historian Sandew Hira analyzes the Antillean revolt based on original sources and discusses its meaning in an international context. This book provides facts and analysis of the uprising that connect history to current events. The book is available in Dutch and Papiamento.
ISBN: 978-90-74897-50-1
Pages: 146
Year of publication: 2009
Order information Dutch version: Order at Bol.com or Amazon
Order information Papiamento version: Order at info@amritpublishers.com