In the early 18th century, the island of Curaçao, a Dutch colony in the Caribbean, was a hub of the transatlantic slave trade. During this time, the island saw few significant rebellions. However, one uprising in late 1716 would become infamous, not only for its brutality but also for the controversial execution of the woman accused of leading it.
The exact details of Maria’s early life remain unknown. Like many enslaved Africans, her story only emerges in the historical record due to the violence and resistance she became associated with. By the early 1700s, Maria worked as a cook on the St. Maria plantation, which was owned by the powerful Dutch West India Company. This plantation was a critical part of the brutal system of slavery that drove the economy of the Dutch colonies.
Maria’s role as a cook placed her in a position of proximity to both the newly arrived enslaved Africans and the plantation’s European staff. It was a position that afforded her some degree of mobility and access to information.
On September 15, 1716, the enslaved population at the St. Maria plantation revolted. The uprising was marked by its ferocity: white staff, including women and children, were killed in the initial stages. The exact number of participants in the rebellion and the level of planning that went into it remain unclear. However, the Dutch colonial authorities responded with swift and brutal force. Within ten days, military forces from Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao, had suppressed the rebellion and captured many of the rebels.
Maria’s involvement in the rebellion became known through the testimony of Tromp, a fellow slave and her lover, who stated under torture that Maria was the mastermind behind the rebellion. He alleged that Maria sought revenge against an overseer named Muller, who was responsible for the death of her spouse.
Following Tromp’s tortured confession, Maria was arrested and swiftly put on trial. Despite her persistent claims of innocence, she was found guilty of leading the rebellion. On November 9, 1716, Maria was executed publicly by burning as a grim warning to others who might consider rebelling against the established order of slavery.
