Muslim Revolts in the Americas
It was year 1522 and they revolted just after Christmas on the island of Hispaniola. They moved quickly from one plantation to the next hoping to mobilize others to their cause. With a machete in hand, they killed settlers and livestock, torched homes and fields. Once the dust had settled, 15 bodies lay dead, 9 of which were European. By historical standards, this was a minor revolt but it was the first slave revolt of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and it was instigated and led by African Muslim slaves. Who were these Muslims from Africa These Black African Muslims were a proud people. They were confident in their abilities and sure of themselves. Islam was their guiding principal and it blessed them with many abilities. Muslims from Africa included people from the Wolof, Mandingo, Hausa, Pulaar, Fulani, Vai and other ethnicities but it was Islam that bound them all. They shared a religion and a language, a writing system, a set of values and habits that transcended the traditional