Stono River Slave Rebellion Site
National Register Listing
Street Address:
Off U.S. 17 on W bank of Wallace River; in the vicinity of Rantowles, SC (Charleston County)
NRHP Nomination
Record Number:
S10817710075
Description and Narrative:
One of the most serious slave insurrections which occurred during the colonial period took place about twenty miles southwest of Charleston in Stono, September 9-10, 1739. A number of conditions existed in South Carolina during the 1730s which were conducive to a slave revolt: large numbers of slaves fresh from Africa had been imported into the province; these first and second generation Africans retained a large measure of their culture; the blacks vastly outnumbered the white population; the military threat posed by the Spanish in Florida and the constant intrigue on their part to lure slaves into Spanish territory; the accessibility of weapons; and above all, the institution of slavery itself. Approximately eighty slaves participated in the Stono rebellion which brought destruction to several plantations in the area. The rebellion was led by a man named Jemmy who was an Angolan slave. It was at this location that slaves under his leadership attacked the Hutchinson warehouse located near the river. After killing the two guards and seizing the arms within they proceeded towards Savannah and hoped for freedom. Listed in the National Register May 30, 1974; Designated a National Historic Landmark May 30, 1974.
Period of Significance:
1739;18th century
Level of Significance:
National
Area of Significance:
Social History;Ethnic Heritage: Black
National Register Determination:
National Historic Landmark
Date of Certification:
May 30 1974
