George William Gordon, a wealthy mulatto politician,…

George William Gordon, a wealthy mulatto politician, had begun encouraging black Jamaicans to find ways to make their grievances known.

One of his followers is a church deacon named Paul Bogle.

On October 7, 1865, a black man is put on trial and imprisoned for trespassing on a long-abandoned plantation, creating anger among black Jamaicans.

When one member of a group of black protesters from the village of Stony Gut is arrested, the protesters become unruly and break the accused man out of prison.

When he returns to his home, Bogle learns that he and twenty-seven of his men have warrants issued for their arrest for rioting, resisting arrest, and assaulting the police.

A few days later, on October 11, Randall Brown marches with a group of protesters to Morant Bay.

When the group arrives at the court house, they are met by a small and inexperienced volunteer militia.

The crowd begins pelting the militia with rocks and sticks, and the militia opens fire on the group, killing seven black protesters before retreating.

The black protesters then close in and attack, killing eighteen people (including white officials and militia) and taking control of the town.

In the days that follow, some two thousand black rebels roam the countryside, killing two white planters and forcing others to flee for their lives.

Governor John Eyre sends government troops, under Brigadier-General Alexander Nelson, to hunt down the poorly armed rebels and bring Paul Bogle back to Morant Bay for trial.

The troops are met with no organized resistance but kill blacks indiscriminately, many of whom had not been involved in the riot or rebellion: according to one soldier, "we slaughtered all before us… man or woman or child".

In the end, four hundred and thirty-nine black Jamaicans are killed directly by soldiers, and three hundred and fifty-four more (including Paul Bogle) are arrested and later executed, some without proper trials.

Paul Bogle is executed "either the same evening he was tried or the next morning." (The Jamaica Prosecutions. Further Examinations of Colonel Nelson and Lieutenant Brand." The Illustrated Police News: Law-Courts and Weekly Record. [London] Feb. 23, 1867: 1.)

Other punishments include flogging for over six hundred men and women (including some pregnant women), and long prison sentences.

Gordon, who had had little—if anything—to do with the rebellion is also arrested.

Though he is arrested in Kingston, he is transferred by Eyre to Morant Bay, where he can be tried under martial law.

The speedy trial sees Gordon hanged on October 23, two days after his trial.

He and William Bogle, Paul's brother, "were both tried together, and executed at the same time."