[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 858 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 858

    Recognizing the week of December 26, 2021, as the ``Week of the 
  Quincentennial of the Fight Against Black Slavery in the Americas''.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 23, 2021

Mr. Espaillat submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

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                               RESOLUTION


 
    Recognizing the week of December 26, 2021, as the ``Week of the 
  Quincentennial of the Fight Against Black Slavery in the Americas''.

Whereas, on the 26th day of December 1521, the first historically recorded 
        rebellion of enslaved African people took place in Santo Domingo, 
        Dominican Republic;
Whereas tragically there is no perspective of the rebellion from the slaves, 
        however, it was described in detail in the Historia General y Natural de 
        las Indias, by Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo;
Whereas on the sugar plantation of Diego Colon, eldest son of Christopher 
        Columbus and Viceroy of the Indies, approximately 20 African people who 
        had been forcibly kidnapped and enslaved rebelled;
Whereas those individuals, taking notice of the lowered guard of their 
        kidnappers, conspired to free themselves on the second day of Christmas 
        of the year 1521;
Whereas after rising up and escaping their confinement, these 20 individuals 
        were joined by many others, both African and Taino, in order to maintain 
        their freedom;
Whereas these individuals moved toward the mountains in the middle of the 
        island, during which time they saw combat with the White kidnappers and 
        farmers who tried to confine them again;
Whereas after some time, the Spanish colonist killed or captured all those who 
        had escaped, and thereafter created a series of ordinances that severely 
        limited movement of freedom of the already enslaved peoples, and 
        provided new mechanisms for keeping them from ever rebelling again;
Whereas this set of ordinances, being one of the first of its kind, enforcing 
        the economy of mass enslavement in the New World, has left an indelible 
        and infamous mark on the history of the laws, not just of the Dominican 
        Republic, but of this Nation as well;
Whereas this early revolt of human beings against those who believed them to be 
        property, was perhaps the first time in this hemisphere, after the first 
        contact of Christopher Columbus, that the values that we extol in these 
        United States, liberty and freedom, were manifested; and
Whereas on the quincentennial anniversary of such an impactful event, the fight 
        for those values Africans and Taino rebels adamantly defended is 
        ongoing, continued by their descendants and all freedom-loving people in 
        these United States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the historical significance of the Week of 
        the Quincentennial Anniversary of the 1521 Santo Domingo Slave 
        Revolt to the eventual abolition of slavery;
            (2) supports the recognition of the Quincentennial 
        Anniversary of the 1521 Santo Domingo Slave Revolt as an 
        everlasting symbol of heroic sacrifice and gallantry by the 
        slaves being held against their will in Santo Domingo;
            (3) acknowledges this revolt to be the first of many 
        revolts that would occur for nearly four centuries after the 
        infamous events of December 26, 1521; and
            (4) encourages the people of the United States to recognize 
        the significance of this event, and commemorate this event by 
        reflecting on, learning about, and sharing the story of the 
        events of December 26, 1521.
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