Paul Bogle - Biography

Biography

Born into enslavement, Paul Bogle lived at Stony Gut, St Thomas, Jamaica. In 1834 slavery was abolished, but the white population still held the power. Bogle became a friend of landowner and politician and fellow Baptist George William Gordon, who was instrumental in Bogle being appointed deacon of Stony Gut Baptist Church in 1864. In August 1865, Gordon attacked the British governor, Edward John Eyre, for sanctioning "everything done by the higher class to the oppression of the negroes".

Bogle concentrated his activity on improving the conditions of the poor. As social injustices and people's grievances grew, he led a group of small farmers 45 miles to discuss their grievances with Governor Eyre in Spanish Town, but they were denied an audience. This left the people of Stony Gut with a lack of confidence, and distrust for the Government, and Bogle’s supporters grew in number.

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