Mary Thomas, famously known as Queen Mary, was an important figure in the labour history of the Danish West Indies. Born around 1848, Thomas emerged as a formidable leader during the 1878 “Fireburn” labor riot on the island of St. Croix. This uprising, recognized as the largest labor revolt in Danish history, marked a significant chapter in the struggle for workers’ rights and dignity.
The seeds of the Fireburn riot were sown long before 1878. Although slavery was abolished in the Danish West Indies in 1848, the conditions for the formerly enslaved remained unchanged. In 1849, a labor law was enacted to regulate the wages and conditions of plantation workers, effectively locking them into exploitative and restrictive terms. This law prohibited bargaining for better wages or improved work conditions, pushing many to leave the plantations and even the islands in search of better opportunities.
To counteract the labour shortage, the Danish government imposed harsh restrictions, making it difficult for workers to leave the islands. These measures included the requirement of health certificates and the imposition of fees for passports, further worsening the plight of the workers.
By the fall of 1878, the frustration among workers had reached a boiling point. Their demands for better wages were denied, and stricter travel conditions were imposed. On October 1, 1878, this discontent erupted into what became known as the Fireburn riot.
At the forefront of this uprising was Mary Thomas, who would come to be known as Queen Mary. Alongside her were three other remarkable women: Axeline ‘Agnes’ Elizabeth Salomon (Queen Agnes), Matilde McBean (Queen Matilda), and Susanna ‘Bottom Belly’ Abrahamsson.
The destruction was immense, with 879 acres burned and property damage estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars. The riot also resulted in the deaths of 60 black laborers and two soldiers.
As the revolt intensified, the colonial government struggled to regain control. On October 4, British, French, and American warships arrived, offering assistance to quell the riot. However, the island’s Governor, confident in his ability to manage the situation, declined their help, choosing instead to borrow guns from the British ships to bolster their defenses.
The following day, the government issued an ultimatum, demanding all protesters return to their plantations or be declared rebels. While many obeyed, Mary Thomas and others who were determined to fight for change continued their protest. Before Danish authorities succeeded in putting an end to the rebellion, workers had already burned down more than half of the city of Frederiksted.
Mary Thomas, along with other leaders of the uprising, were eventually arrested and tried. They were all sentenced to death for their roles in the riot. While other leaders were executed, Mary Thomas’s sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. She lived the rest of her days behind bars, at prisons in Copenhagen and Christiansted, a town on St. Croix.
Today, Queen Mary Thomas is remembered as a symbol of resistance and a champion of workers’ rights in the Danish West Indies.
