A History of Slavery at the Cape
Episode 5: Louis's Slave Revolt at the Cape
Beginning in the middle of the 17th century, European colonists established a brutal slave society at the south-western tip of Africa that lasted for more than 150 years.
The legacy of this period has affected the development of South Africa ever since and it can still be felt today.
A History of Slavery at the Cape is a podcast that describes this period in South Africa’s past. In this episode, we tell the story of Louis van Mauritius, the enslaved man who led a rebellion of indigenous and enslaved people in the Cape Colony in 1808.
The podcast was created by a group of Grade 6 and 7 students at Cedar House Prep School in Cape Town, South Africa.
This episode was created in June 2021.
An important disclaimer: We are neither professional voice actors nor experienced sound engineers, editors or producers – we’re just a bunch of kids! So please forgive us for mispronouncing the odd word and for the less-than-studio-quality recordings. We hope you find our podcast informative nevertheless.
A very special thanks to Lucy Campbell for inspiring us!
Music:
The Rising by Aakash Gandhi
Hard Times Come Again No More by The Westerlies
Melancholia by Godmode
Nostalgic Place by Myuu
Sprightly Pursuit by Cooper Cannell
The Plan's Working by Cooper Cannell
Zameen - Movement of Earth by Aakash Gandhi
Alone by Emmit Fenn
Passage by Ugonna Onyekwe
When All of This is Over by The Westerlies
Sources:
High Treason – A few fateful days in October
https://camissapeople.wordpress.com/2016/02/23/high-treason-a-few-fateful-days-in-october/
Louis van Mauritius and the Slave Revolt of 1808
https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/louis-van-mauritius-and-slave-revolt-1808
Louis of Mauritius
https://capetownmuseum.org.za/they-built-this-city/louis-of-mauritius/
How a slave from Mauritius led a rebellion in Cape Town
By Nigel Warden
GroundUp, 2016
The Cape Town Slave Rebellion of 1808 and the Limits of Historicity
By Adrinda L. Kelly
Masters Thesis, New York University, 2009
Cape of Torments. Slavery and resistance in South Africa
By R. Ross