The Reign of Terror: a Narrative of Facts Concerning Ex-Governor Eyre, George William Gordon, and the Jamaica Atrocities

The Reign Of Terror: A Narrative Of Facts Concerning Ex-Governor Eyre, George William Gordon, And The Jamaica Atrocities by Henry Bleby. This historical account investigates Jamaica's 1865 Morant Bay disturbances, arguing that martial law and executive overreach produced extensive violence against unarmed civilians. Drawing on Royal Commission testimony, parliamentary papers, and contemporary reports, Bleby exposes the actions of Governor Eyre, the punitive measures of Nelson, Brand, and Ramsay, and the controversial trial and execution of George William Gordon. The narrative contends that the Morant Bay outbreak was a local riot mischaracterized as a rebellion, fueled by misgovernment, corrupt legislation, and church-state tensions. The volume denounces brutality by colonial authorities, documents mass arrests and mass executions, and condemns the suppression of evidence and manipulation of public opinion. It also highlights the role of Missionary societies, the press, and public opinion in shaping accountability, and it closes with reflections on reform in Jamaica and the enduring questions of justice in imperial governance.