enslaved people of Trinidad

British forces capture Trinidad from Spain

📅 18 February 1797

On 18 February 1797, British forces captured Trinidad after Spanish Governor José María Chacón capitulated at Valsayn. The change of imperial ruler did not free the people held in slavery or dismantle...

Treaty of Amiens formalizes British possession of Trinidad

📅 25 March 1802

On 25 March 1802, the Treaty of Amiens formally left Trinidad in British hands, excepting it from the return of other Spanish and allied colonies occupied during the war. The treaty settled a...

Order in Council establishes Trinidad’s compulsory slave registry

📅 26 March 1812

On 26 March 1812, an Order in Council established compulsory registration of enslaved people in Trinidad, the first such registry in the British West Indies. Plantation owners had to report enslaved...