Jack and his father, Quamina, an African-born enslaved carpenter, lived and worked on the "Success" plantation in Demerara.
[3] He was a free spirit, and passionate man who despised limitations on his freedom; he was aware of the debate about slavery in Britain, and was made extremely listless by rumours of emancipation papers arriving from London.
[3] Jack was tall and debonair, and possessed "European features" — he stood at six feet two inches, was intelligent, and had a reputation as a "wild fellow".
Jack had been baptised, was occasionally a "teacher", but was not a regular churchgoer because he was too restless to follow church rules.
[4] Following the arrival of news from Britain that measures aimed at improving the treatment of slaves in the colonies had been passed, Jack had heard a rumour that their masters had received instructions to set them free but were refusing to do so.
[6] Meanwhile, his father Quamina supported the idea of a peaceful strike, and made the fellow slaves promise not to use violence.
The very low number of white deaths is proof that the uprising was largely peaceful – Plantation owners, managers and their families were locked up and not harmed.