Although slavery was abolished in the British West Indies in 1838, black Jamaicans still felt oppressed being pushed to work for low wages and still primarily under the control of the wealthy white owners of land. In October 1865, sometime after Queen Victoria’s unfavorable response to the Jamaicans’ petition, Paul Bogle led protests against the court settlement of a land dispute. In what became known as the Morant Bay Rebellion, Bogle marched on the courthouse and was met by the response of the soldiers killing hundreds of the rebels. Edward Eyre, the governor of the colony, ordered the arrest of Bogle’s political mentor, George William Gordon. Governor Eyre abused martial law to hang Gordon without the burdens of proof in civilian court. This response to the rebellion divided Britain. John Stuart Mill became chairman of the Jamaican Committee and raised money for a private prosecution against Eyre for what they deemed as the “murder” of Gordon. Thomas Carlyle became the chairman of the Eyre Defence Fund to raise the money for Eyre’s legal representation. The prosecution of the governor failed, but his reputation was tarnished and he lived in private. 

Source:

“Jamaica's Morant Bay Rebellion: Brutality and Outrage in the British Empire.” HistoryExtra, November 26, 2020. https://www.historyextra.com/period/victorian/jamaicas-morant-bay-rebell....