Today’snholiday reminds the people of Trinidad and Tobago that for more thann30 years, from 1917 to 1951, practicing the Spiritual Baptistnreligion (otherwise known as the Shouter Baptist religion) wasnillegal!
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nThisngroup of Christians were called Shouter Baptists by outsiders to pokenfun at the loud clapping and shouting during worship services. ThenShouter Baptists themselves didn’t like the name and decided to callnthemselves Spiritual Baptists. Their enthusiastic dancing, clapping,nsinging, and shouting made services lively—sometimes people evennfell to the ground and shook with convulsions. n
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| In addition to shouting, many Spiritual Baptists ring bells during services. |
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nWhynwas this worship illegal? The police and government made the excusenthat the services were too loud. The Shouter Baptists, they said,ndisturbed the peace. The dancing and shouting and especially thenconvulsions seemed primitive, even indecent (they hinted). n
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nItnis possible that the underlying reason for the ban was that thisnreligion mixed Baptist beliefs with African traditions, and somenpeople—even some black people—in Trinidad had prejudice againstnall things African. Black people who were former slaves didn’t wantnthe reminder of their degradation.
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nWho were the Merikins?
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nAsnI read about how this bigoted law got passed in the first place, Infound out (for the first time in my long, long life) about then“Merikins.” These were former slaves who fought with the Britishnagainst the Americans in the War of 1812. The black marines werenfighting against their former owners—one might say they felt as ifnthey were fighting for freedom, for themselves and their people. n
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Forntheir service, after the war was over, British offered to take all ofnthe black marines to Trinidad, where they could be free. About 760nmarines took them up on their offer and emigrated to Trinidad, wherenthey set up “companies” (villages), each under the supervision ofna sergeant or corporal. The government provided the refugees shelter,ntools, and some cuttings and seeds for planting. Some also receivednclothes, blankets, and food to eat while they started farms. Then“starter” daily rations were plantain (a kind of banana) and saltnmeat.
Forntheir service, after the war was over, British offered to take all ofnthe black marines to Trinidad, where they could be free. About 760nmarines took them up on their offer and emigrated to Trinidad, wherenthey set up “companies” (villages), each under the supervision ofna sergeant or corporal. The government provided the refugees shelter,ntools, and some cuttings and seeds for planting. Some also receivednclothes, blankets, and food to eat while they started farms. Then“starter” daily rations were plantain (a kind of banana) and saltnmeat.n
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nAlsonon this date:
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nAnniversary of the invention of the pencil-eraser
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ArtistnFrancisco Goya’s birthday
ArtistnFrancisco Goya’s birthdayn
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nArtistnVincent Van Gogh’s birthday
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nAnniversarynof the purchase of Alaska
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