How Slaves Used The Holiday Season To Plan Escapes And Start Revolts

Illustration depicting Francois Dominique Toussaint L’Ouverture participating in the successful revolt against French power in St. Dominique (Haiti). | Source: Bettmann / Getty

During the era of slavery in the Americas, enslaved men, women and children also enjoyed the holidays. Slave owners usually gave them bigger portions of food, gifted them alcohol and provided extra days of rest.

Those gestures, however, were not made out of generosity.

As abolitionist, orator and diplomat Frederick Douglass explained...