The Labor Act of January 26. 1849


 The Historical Context

 The period just after the emancipation of the slaves was a traumatic one in
 the history of the Danish West Indies. As was the case in the neighboring British West
 Indies it could be termed in some ways as "the best of times and the worst of times".
 True, the slaves were freed; but emancipation did not bring the gleefully anticipated
 economic, social and political improvements. Instead, new forms of economic, social
 and political deprivations confronted them.

 Both the downtrodden newly-freed Blacks and the ruling slave-
 dispossessed Whites had to face the realities of the changed conditions. Both
 encountered difficulties in adjustment. All this led to repressive, discriminating laws
 and to great discontent in the Black laboring class, with far-reaching consequences.

 As a result of the emancipation, the slaves were free and in a temporary
 state of joy and celebration. The White former slave owners, however, were in a
 different mood: angry and frustrated. They accused Governor Peter von Scholten of
 conspiracy in the emancipation, illegal acts, misuse of office and removed him from
 power and shipped him off to Denmark in disgrace to face trial. They selected Frederik
 von Oxholm to be the new governor. His tenure lasted only from July to November
 1848.

 Ironically, Demnark itself had recently acquired a new ruler. Christian VIII,
who had promised to end slavery in the Danish West Indies in 1859, died in January
1848. He was succeeded by his son Frederik VII (1847-1863). It was his fate to deal
with sweeping constitutional and political changes both in Denmark itself as well as in
its colonies.

 The emancipation of the slaves had come suddenly in the Danish West
Indies. The Emancipation Proclamation did not address in any detail the new work
relationship between the laborers (former slaves) and their employers (former
owners). During 1848 and 1849, two Labor Acts were passed by the government
under the duress of the angry, frustrated former slave owners on St. Croix. The first
was hastily drawn up by a Committee of Planters and issued on July 29, 1848 during
the short tenure of Governor von Oxholm. It stipulated that:

 1. Laborers should seek regular employment somewhere,
 either on the plantation to which they had previously
 belonged or elsewhere.

 2. Laborers had to be on a yearly contract which specified the
 amount of work and its nature, as well as the wages to be
 paid.