Anton de Kom - We Slaves of Suriname

1 Cover

2 Title Page We Slaves of Suriname Anton de Kom Translated by David McKay polity

3 Copyright Page Copyright Page Wij slaven van Suriname © 1934/1983/2020 by Anton de Kom © Introductions by Tessa Leuwsha, Mitchell Esajas, Duco van Oostrum (2020) and Judith de Kom (1983) Originally published in Dutch as Wij slaven van Suriname by Uitgeverij Atlas Contact, Amsterdam. This English edition © Polity Press, 2022 This publication has been made possible with financial support from the Dutch Foundation for Literature. The publisher gratefully acknowledges the support of the Dutch Foundation for Literature. Polity Press 65 Bridge Street Cambridge CB2 1UR, UK Polity Press 101 Station Landing Suite 300 Medford, MA 02155, USA All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. ISBN-13: 978-1-5095-4901-6 (hardback) ISBN-13: 978-1-5095-4902-3 (paperback) A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Control Number: 2021942476 by Fakenham Prepress Solutions, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 8NL The publisher has used its best endeavors to ensure that the URLs for external websites referred to in this book are correct and active at the time of going to press. However, the publisher has no responsibility for the websites and can make no guarantee that a site will remain live or that the content is or will remain appropriate. Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been overlooked the publisher will be pleased to include any necessary credits in any subsequent reprint or edition. For further information on Polity, visit our website: politybooks.com

4 Translator’s Note

5 Introductions

6 Frimangron by Tessa Leuwsha Note

7 The Breath of Freedom by Duco van Oostrum Double Consciousness Facts Forgotten and Facts Suppressed The Personal Decolonization of White Education The Breath of Freedom A Vision of Motherly Listening Note Bibliography

8 Why Anton de Kom Still Inspires Generation after Generation by Mitchell Esajas “Race” and Class in Colonial Surinamese Society Solidarity A New Generation Rediscovers Anton de Kom The Legacy of Slavery Notes

9 Forewordby Judith de Kom

10 We Slaves of Suriname

11 “Sranan,” Our Fatherland Notes

12 The Era of Slavery The Arrival of the Whites El Dorado The First Settlements The Dutch Regime The Slave Trade The Market Enslaved The Slave Woman The Masters The Punishments The Governing Council The History of Our Nation Van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck (1683–1688) The Brutes The Forest Expeditions 1712–1742 Johan Jacob Mauricius (1742–1751) Divide and Conquer Adu the Unbending Mauricius the Crusader Alabi Governor Crommelin (1752–1768) Governor Nepveu (1770–1779) Buku (Decayed into Dust) Baron The Chieftain Joli Coeur The Chieftain Boni Open Warfare Foreign Military Assistance The Final Chapter for the Resistance Suriname under British Rule The Great Fire The Fate of the Ethical In Conflict with Amsterdam Merchants White Settlement Fighting the Current Governors on Parade The Abolition of Slavery Freedom? The Great Sellout Notes

13 The Era of “Freedom” How We Live The Essence of Autonomy Fin de siècle Indentured Labor The British Indians The Indonesians The Creoles Free Labor Free Workers In Search of Gold The Major Crops What Becomes of those Millions? The Pará Rubber Tree The Banana Debacle The Liquidation of the Banana Debacle Results Notes

14 Reunion and Farewell Notes

15 Glossary of Surinamese Terms

16 Index

17 End User License Agreement

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2 Table of Contents

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Anton de Kom

Translated by David McKay