Mastery, Tyranny, & Desire
Joey Agliato
Professor Dubrulle
British Empire
30 September 2013
The Exchange of Power Between Master and Slave In eighteenth-century Jamaica, the driving forces behind the institution of slavery were power and fear. Thomas Thistlewood, part plantation owner, part foot soldier for the British Empire, was a young man fueled by an immense desire for wealth and independence. In Jamaica, Thistlewood was thrown into a society in which wealthy white men subjugated blacks from Africa in cruel bondage to turn extraordinary profits. Because of their skin color, whites held a collective equality over the slaves and used their power to instill fear into their counterparts. On the other hand, it was their own fear of the slaves rebelling that caused the owners to inflict inconceivable amounts of torture and punishment. This struggle for power between slaves and masters led to a trade-off. The slaves recognized they would have to obey their masters or face the consequences. At the same time, slaves also realized that their situation could be manipulated and that they could help their own cause by cooperating. Thistlewood’s differing relationships with his slaves showcase how some were able to exploit this trade-off while others fell short. His diary shines light on the lives of Lincoln, Coobah, Sally, and Phibbah who each had their own ways of dealing with life on the plantation. Lincoln was the first slave that Thistlewood purchased and had a very unique and unorthodox relationship with his master. “It was appropriate that Lincoln was the last slave mentioned since for over thirty years he and his master had been intimate, if unequal companions. Their lives were inextricably mixed.”1 Lincoln understood that in order to gain personal advancement he needed to remain close with his master. This meant completing any task he was assigned and remaining subordinate to Thistlewood. This closeness however meant that more was expected of Lincoln and that disobeying meant more
Professor Dubrulle
British Empire
30 September 2013
The Exchange of Power Between Master and Slave In eighteenth-century Jamaica, the driving forces behind the institution of slavery were power and fear. Thomas Thistlewood, part plantation owner, part foot soldier for the British Empire, was a young man fueled by an immense desire for wealth and independence. In Jamaica, Thistlewood was thrown into a society in which wealthy white men subjugated blacks from Africa in cruel bondage to turn extraordinary profits. Because of their skin color, whites held a collective equality over the slaves and used their power to instill fear into their counterparts. On the other hand, it was their own fear of the slaves rebelling that caused the owners to inflict inconceivable amounts of torture and punishment. This struggle for power between slaves and masters led to a trade-off. The slaves recognized they would have to obey their masters or face the consequences. At the same time, slaves also realized that their situation could be manipulated and that they could help their own cause by cooperating. Thistlewood’s differing relationships with his slaves showcase how some were able to exploit this trade-off while others fell short. His diary shines light on the lives of Lincoln, Coobah, Sally, and Phibbah who each had their own ways of dealing with life on the plantation. Lincoln was the first slave that Thistlewood purchased and had a very unique and unorthodox relationship with his master. “It was appropriate that Lincoln was the last slave mentioned since for over thirty years he and his master had been intimate, if unequal companions. Their lives were inextricably mixed.”1 Lincoln understood that in order to gain personal advancement he needed to remain close with his master. This meant completing any task he was assigned and remaining subordinate to Thistlewood. This closeness however meant that more was expected of Lincoln and that disobeying meant more