Although not much is known about national hero the Right Excellent Bussa, it is evident that his bravery and stance against the plantocracy society in 1816 Barbados, will be forever etched in the minds of Barbadians.
Most Barbadians refer to the emancipation statue located in Haggatt Hall, St Michael, as the Bussa statue, but what else do you really know about Bussa?
Here are 10 facts you may or may not know about national hero, the Right Excellent Bussa:
1. Bussa, also known as Busso or Bussoe, was an african-born Barbadian slave who worked as a ranger on ‘Bayley’s Plantation’ in St Philip.
2. In 1816, he led a slave uprising in Barbados popularly known as Bussa’s Rebellion.
3. Bussa’s Rebellion was the largest slave revolt in Barbadian history and took place from April 14-16, 1816.
4. It was one of three major slave revolts which took place in the Caribbean.
5. The rebellion started in the evening in the southeast parish of St Philip, It broke out with cane fields being burned in St. Philip parish, signaling to other rebels that the rebellion had begun. It spread to most of the southern and central parishes of Christ Church, St John, St Thomas, St George and parts of St Michael.
6. Bussa commanded 400 men and women against the troops but was unfortunately killed in battle. His troops continued the fight until being suppressed by the local militia.
7. One white civilian and one black soldier were killed during the fighting. 50 enslaved persons died in battle while the survivors were taken to Bridgetown for trial. During the trial, slaves were executed or sent to another island.
8. It is believed that Bussa’s Rebellion inspired the Demerara rebellion of Demerara-Essequibo (Guyana) in 1823 and Baptist War in Jamaica in 1831 to 1832.
9. In 1985, 169 years after his rebellion, the Emancipation Statue, created by Karl Broodhagen and commonly referred to as the Bussa statue was unveiled in Haggatt Hall, St Michael. The statue represents an enslaved person breaking free from chains, symbolizing the strength of emancipation, and is a nod to the courageous freedom fighter, now a Barbadian household name.
10. By an act of Parliament in 1998, Bussa was named as one of the ten National Heroes of Barbados.
