Paul Bogle

, 1865 On 7 October 1865, Bogle and some supporters attended a trial of two men from Stony Gut. One was convicted and sentenced to prison on charges of trespassing on a long abandoned plantation. A member of Bogle's group protested in court over the case, but was immediately arrested, angering the crowd further. He was rescued moments later when Bogle and his men took to the market square and retaliated. The police were severely beaten and forced to retreat. On Monday, 9 October 1865, warrants were issued against Bogle and a number of others for riot and assault. The police arrived in Stony Gut to arrest Bogle but met with stiff resistance from the residents. They fought the police, forcing them to retreat to Morant Bay. A few days later on 11 October 1865, there was a vestry meeting in the Court House. That day Bogle led hundreds of followers, armed with sticks and machetes, on a protest march to the court house. The authorities had mustered a volunteer militia, who fired into the protesters after stones were thrown, killing seven men. The protesters set fire to the Court House and nearby buildings. When officials tried to leave, several were killed by the angry mob outside; a total of 25 on both sides died that day. He was tried under martial law and quickly executed, as were many others. ==Aftermath==

By the end of 1865 the "Governor Eyre Case" had become the subject of widespread national debate. In January 1866, a Royal Commission was sent to investigate the events. Governor Eyre was suspended and recalled to England and eventually dismissed. The national government changed that of Jamaica. The House of Assembly resigned its charter, and Jamaica was made a Crown Colony, governed directly by Britain. Thomas Carlyle set up a rival committee to defend Eyre. His supporters included John Ruskin, Charles Kingsley, Charles Dickens and Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The Morant Bay rebellion turned out to be one of the defining points in Jamaica's struggle for both political and economical enhancement. Bogle's demonstration ultimately achieved its objectives and paved the way for new attitudes. == Legacy ==

In 1969 Paul Bogle was named a National Hero along with George William Gordon, Marcus Garvey, Sir Alexander Bustamante and Norman Washington Manley. In the 1970s, two other National Heroes were added in the form of Samuel Sharpe and Queen Nanny of the Maroons. Bogle is depicted on the heads side of the Jamaican 10-cent coin. His face was also depicted on the Jamaican two-dollar bill, from 1969 until 1989, when the two-dollar bill was phased out. The Paul Bogle High School in the parish of his birth is named after him. He is referred to together with Toussaint L'Ouverture, leader of the Haitian Revolution, in the name of the London-based publishing company Bogle-L'Ouverture. In popular culture As a national hero, Paul Bogle is referenced in many works of Jamaican culture. Most notably, dancehall performer Gerald Levy's stage name was "Bogle" (also "Mr Bogle" and "Father Bogle"). Third World produced a song about Bogle's execution, "1865 (96 Degrees In The Shade)", released in 1977 on the album of the same name. Other reggae artists who have named and written songs in tribute to Paul Bogle include Lee Scratch Perry and a co-production between The Aggrovators and the Revolutionaries. Bogle is mentioned in songs by Burning Spear, The Mighty Diamonds, Brigadier Jerry, The Cimarons, Steel Pulse, Prince Far I, Lauryn Hill, Third World and General Trees. In "So Much Things to Say", by Bob Marley & The Wailers (and subsequently covered by Lauryn Hill), Marley mentions Bogle in the same breath as Jesus Christ and Marcus Garvey, concluding: "I'll never forget no way they turned their backs on Paul Bogle, so don't you forget no youth who you are and where you stand in the struggle." Paul Bogle is mentioned in the songs "See them a come" and "Innocent blood" by the reggae band Culture. Tarrus Riley also mentions Paul Bogle in the song "Shaka Zulu Pickney", alluding to his ancestry as a freedom fighter. St Thomas-born reggae artist Dwight "Bushman" Duncan hosts an annual Black History Month event called Football N Style in honor of Paul Bogle. He has also dedicated a series of his YouTube blog "Where I'm From" to Paul Bogle and the Morant Bay uprising. Paul Bogle and the events outlined above are the theme of "Ballard of 65" by General Trees. The British rapper Akala references Bogle on the track "Maangamizi" from his album The Thieves Banquet, saying: "Probably don't know the Haitian Revolution caused the French to sell half of America, nor know the role that Africans played in the Civil War for that same America. If you ain't heard of Nanny of the Maroons or Bogle, you probably believe what they told you." Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician Junior Reid mentions Paul Bogle in the song "Same Boat", which recalls the era of slavery, by saying "Paul Bogle haffi run like Usain Bolt". Both George William Gordon and Paul Bogle are mentioned in Horace Andy's "Our Jamaican National Heroes", while Ruddy Thomas' "Grandfather Bogle" is a Bogle tribute. Bogle and the Morant Bay rebellion are pivotal plot points in Zadie Smith's 2023 novel The Fraud. Prince Far I - Jamaican Heroes released on Trojan Records 1980 == References ==