Although little information survives about this slave revolt, it is generally regarded as one of the three major slave insurrections that took place on São Tomé, alongside those of 1595 and 1617. Contemporary sources attributed the revolt or uprising to the “Minas” slaves (that is, individuals originating from the Mina Coast or, more broadly, from the Gulf of Guinea), one of the two predominant groups within the enslaved population of the archipelago, the other being the “Angolares”. The uprising followed, and was partly a consequence of, a traumatic episode in the island’s history: the attack of a French corsair force that occupied, plundered, and burned the town of São Tomé for nearly a month, from 19 April to 15 May 1709. Many of the island’s leading landowners sought refuge in their inland plantations, taking with them their families and most valuable possessions. Fearing possible attacks by the corsairs, they distributed weapons to their slaves for the defence of their estates. After the French departed, an undetermined number of enslaved people took advantage of the ensuing disorder and of their access to arms to plunder several plantations in the countryside. Led by an unidentified leader, they subsequently marched towards the town of São Tomé, apparently intending either to seize or loot it. Colonial forces eventually suppressed the uprising. Some rebels were killed in the fighting, while others attempted to escape by canoe and presumably drowned at sea. The remainder were captured and returned to their owners under the explicit condition that they should be sold to Brazil at the earliest opportunity.