Geneva Club English 166 Final Project

1741 New York Conspiracy Overview

I've got something to jog your memory 
 

In the winter and spring of 1741

A slave conspiracy, not clear if it was done,

Nevertheless, seventeen slaves WERE hung,

Thirteen black men burned at the stake, 

Even though the judge may have made a mistake 

Were these "the merciless flames of an imaginary plot"

as critics then contended,

a judicial wrong not to be amended?
 

 

Primary source for the plot is Horsmanden's book, 

We should Take another look,

He needed money, and to defend his court,

Mary burton's evidence was suspected as a fraud 
 

 

Similar to Salem, witch trial Hysteria, 

was there some ulterior criteria,

party politics of New York,

Sending slaves to the stake?

Was this whole conspiracy a murderous fake?

Or did rebellion grow from Hughson's tavern

Was Talk of overthrow something more than a show?

Will we ever know?
 

 

Another way needed to deal with conspiracy,

another approach to this corrupted history 

mystery or not, we've got new suggestions,

Other answers for these difficult questions.


- Geordie Milne

Contents of this path:

  1. “Dishonourable Society of Black Masons”: Learning Something from Everyday Slave Resistance in Colonial New York
  2. "From the Drink Came a Dream" Rap
  3. Geneva Club Music Video Pre-Production
  4. "From the Drink Came a Dream" Music Video
  5. Peggy and Caeser: The Fire that Love Extinguished