Today in Bajan History | November 16th,

I am Diane Campbell, MA History graduate of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus. On this day, November 16th, 1839, the Barbadian newspaper printed an anonymously written letter which addressed the state of the emancipated peasantry. The letter stated that a year after slavery had been abolished, planters persisted with the practice of providing labourers with estate housing known as ***** Yards, along with allowing them the benefit of land allotments. This was intended to ensure that labour was available to the plantation when required. However, this strategy had proven to be counterproductive since the labourers sought employment on other estates which offered higher wages and then returned to their ***** yards and surrounding gardens, from which they derived additional income raising sheep and pigs.