Oliver Cromwell sent Irish slaves to Jamaica when it was an English Colony in the 1600’s.
I recently learned that there were a lot of “indentured” Irish servants in Jamaica. Reportedly the Irish are the second-largest ethnic group there.
From Wikipedia:
“The first wave of Irish immigrants occurred in the early 17th century, Irish emigrant principally sailors, servants, and merchants. Many of the poorer emigrants were displaced Gaelic-Irish and Anglo-Irish Catholics, as well as convicts who were indentured servants. Many of the indentured servants were transported unwillingly. More than 2,000 children alone were sent on ships from Galway Bay[citation needed]. Of those surviving the long journey many more succumbed to disease, the harsh conditions and unfamiliar tropical conditions.”
Cromwell seized the estates of Irish rebels in 1652. And some of those rebels got shipped out of Ireland as political prisoners, which Cromwell likely intended to be not much different than slavery. To British North America as well as the Caribbean.
There’s a book of ‘Landed Irish Gentry’ who had their properties seized by Cromwell. It lists two who have the rare patronym of my Irish ancestors, a name essentially extinct in Ireland today. I suspect that Cromwell is when and why they ended up in the colonies.
No, I’m not a big researcher into it, but whatever I see about Irish complaints (which I always suspect thanks to bogus claims juxtaposing the over-influence of Tammany Hall which belies the bellyaching) usually is found to be inflation and exaggeration of any problems they might have. So it is on the ‘net. Many net sites will argue against what they claim is something trumped up thanks to the net...and so on. It’s as if Irish are always trying to be the attention-seeking victim (like a certain other demographic). I call BS.
Who knew Irish slaves we black? Were they in black face?
Some were indentured servants, but none were chattel slaves.
Source: The Irish Times: "Welcome to Sligoville: The story of the Irish in Jamaica"
Excerpt:
In 1655, when England captured Jamaica from Spain, Oliver Cromwell needed to populate their new colony. Some were convicts, many indentured servants and very few of the deportees had committed any great crimes. Deportation “beyond the sea, either within His Majesty’s dominions or elsewhere outside His Majesty’s Dominions” was one of their methods of dealing with the Irish issue and, more importantly, populating England’s new acquisition.
One man whose crime was to harbour a priest was imprisoned, while his three daughters were sent to Jamaica. In order to prevent the new arrivals forming communities the three girls were sent to different corners of Jamaica. Large numbers of the Irish exiles died from heat and diseases.
It was thought that the Irish would have a better chance of survival if they were introduced to the climate at a young age. Cromwell then sent 2,000 children between the age of 10 and 14 years.
Migration to Jamaica continued through the 17th century. The term Redleg was coined. The fair skin of the Irish frazzled beneath the Caribbean sun. The Irish exiles were not chattel slaves. Their white skin meant they would know freedom when their indenturship expired.