Exam Essay 1
This essay focusses on the testimony of William Fuller, a Jamaican police officer
who was personally involved in the events that transpired in St. Thomas-in-theEast in October, 1865. Read the deposition of Fuller on pages 80–82 of Volume 2 of
the Report of the Jamaica Royal Commission (London: Spottiswoode, 1866). A
digitized copy of the report is available online on Google Books.
As you read Fuller’s deposition, consider the following questions:
• What can we infer about the witness from his testimony?
• How was he connected to the rebellion and those accused of being involved in it?
• Are there parts of his testimony that are based on his own experience? Are there
parts that convey only second-hand information?
• Are there parts of his testimony that may be based on false memories,
exaggerations, wishful thinking, or even outright lies? Are there parts of his
testimony that should be regarded as reliable?
• Why did the Royal Commission question him? What seems to be the focus of
their questions addressed to him? What are their questions designed to establish
or disprove?
• What can you infer from his testimony about the rebellion and those accused of
being involved in it?
• Are there contradictions or gaps in his testimony?
• How does his testimony support or contradict the interpretations offered by
others you’ve read this semester in their historical accounts of the rebellion?
Use the search function of Google Books, or your ability to skim texts, to locate
within the Report of the Jamaica Royal Commission the testimony of at least one
other witness to the events Fuller describes, for example another police officer
involved in the attempt to arrest Bogle. Consider the following questions as you
read the testimony of this other witness:
• Are there ways in which the witness corroborates Fuller’s account?
• Are there ways in which the witness contradicts Fuller’s account?
• What can be inferred from the witness’ account about the events that
transpired?
In an essay of 1,000 words, analyze Fuller’s testimony, setting it in the context of
other primary sources we have read in the course and the testimony of at least one
other witness to the events Fuller recounts. In such a short essay, you won’t be
able to answer all the questions noted above. But you must ensure that you go
beyond merely repeating what Fuller says to analyzing it. At this point in the
course, you should have some sense of the larger significance of the rebellion and
its suppression. Your essay should focus on the aspects of Fuller’s testimony that
relate to the bigger questions that historian ask about the rebellion and its
significance.
Imagine that you are writing for a reader who is familiar in a general way with the
nineteenth-century history of the Atlantic world and the Morant Bay Rebellion, but
who may not be familiar with Fuller or with the specific details or themes that
emerge in Fuller’s testimony. You should write clearly and with enough
explanation to set your observations in context, but you should avoid stating what
is too obvious. You only have a 1,000 words. Make good use of them.
Your response should be written in a clear font, such as Times New Roman or
Courier, at a minimum size of 12pt, and the paragraph should be double-spaced.
Submit your response on turnitin on Blackboard before the deadline indicated
above.
