Born: 1848 (circa), Antigua
Died: 1905
Country most active: United States: Virgin Islands
Also known as: Queen Mary
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
In 1878, the Fireburn labor riot erupted on Saint Croix, part of the Danish West Indies. It began on October 1, lasting several days with looting and arson. Women like Queen Mary Thomas, Queen Agnes Salomon, and Queen Mathilda McBean led the rebellion, known as the Queens of the Fireburn.
Following the 1848 emancipation of enslaved Africans in the Danish West Indies, an 1849 labor law established fixed salaries and labor conditions for plantation workers, forbidding any attempts to negotiate improved terms. This led to a mass exodus of laborers from the plantations and the islands in search of better opportunities. To counter the labor shortage, the government imposed stricter departure regulations, including health certificates and passport fees. In the fall of 1878, negotiations for wages were denied, resulting in the Fireburn riots, the largest labor uprising in Danish history, marked by the burning of over 50 plantations.
Mary Thomas, recognized as “Queen Mary” for her leadership role, was among the leaders of this uprising, along with “Queen Agnes” and “Queen Matilda.” Thomas assumed a prominent position, referring to herself as a “captain” during the rebellion. She allegedly called for the decapitation of those unwilling to participate in one instance. Following her arrest and trial, Mary Thomas provided witness testimony against Thomas Graydon, also known as “Colonel Peter,” who received a death sentence. Although initially sentenced to death herself for arson and looting, her punishment was later commuted to life imprisonment. In 1882, she was relocated to Copenhagen’s Women’s Prison in Christianshavn, but in 1887, she was returned to Christiansted, St. Croix, to serve the remainder of her sentence.