. ▁ ▁Commun ities ▁of ▁fre ed ▁people ▁developed , ▁with ▁inhabitants ▁mostly ▁working ▁tr ades ▁but ▁in ▁some ▁cases ▁ear ning ▁a ▁living ▁as ▁mer ch ants . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁ 1 7 7 0 s ▁on wards , ▁fre ed ▁people ▁would ▁often ▁migr ate ▁to ▁Tr in idad ▁or ▁Dem er ara ▁to ▁ear n ▁higher ▁w ages . ▁ ▁E man cip ation ▁to ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 3 ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁out la wed ▁sla very , ▁but ▁full ▁legal ▁freedom ▁didn ’ t ▁come ▁to ▁St . ▁K itt s ▁and ▁Ne vis ▁until ▁ 1 8 3 8 . ▁Instead , ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁St . ▁K itt s ▁and ▁Ne vis ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁modified ▁sla very ▁called ▁app rent ices hip . ▁Under ▁this ▁system , ▁former ▁slave ▁hold ers ▁continued ▁to ▁own ▁all ▁farm able ▁land ▁and ▁slaves ▁had ▁to ▁buy ▁their ▁freedom ▁by ▁working ▁ 4 5 ▁hours ▁a ▁week ▁for ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁ 4 ▁to ▁ 6 ▁years . ▁▁ ▁Since ▁S atur days ▁were ▁market ▁day , ▁when ▁slaves ▁had ▁tradition ally ▁sold ▁war es ▁for ▁income , ▁having ▁to ▁work ▁ 6 ▁days ▁a ▁week ▁was ▁a ▁large ▁h ind rance ▁for ▁app rent ices ▁attempting ▁to ▁purchase ▁their ▁freedom . ▁▁ ▁S la ves ▁heard ▁that ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Ant igua ▁had ▁granted ▁full ▁freedom ▁to ▁ ▁slaves ▁and ▁recognized ▁the ▁change ▁to ▁the ▁app rent ices