ing ▁animals . ▁At ▁night , ▁children ▁would ▁eat ▁small ▁me als , ▁often ▁prepared ▁by ▁their ▁moth ers , ▁consisting ▁mostly ▁of ▁imported ▁gra in . ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁the ▁slave ▁population ▁had ▁slightly ▁more ▁freedom ▁and ▁were ▁often ▁given ▁extra ▁be ef ▁and ▁p ork . ▁The ▁white ▁population ▁on ▁the ▁islands ▁however ▁organized ▁gu ards ▁to ▁monitor ▁the ▁activities ▁of ▁slaves ▁during ▁their ▁time ▁off . ▁In ▁general , ▁the ▁white ▁population ▁was ▁w ary ▁of ▁slaves ▁revol ting . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 6 3 9 ▁the ▁French ▁had ▁to ▁dispatch ▁ 5 0 0 ▁men ▁to ▁put ▁down ▁an ▁u pr ising ▁on ▁St . ▁K itt s . ▁African ▁slaves ▁resist ed ▁bond age ▁in ▁other ▁ways , ▁such ▁as ▁taking ▁food ▁from ▁their ▁master s ▁to ▁supp lement ▁their ▁me ager ▁r ations , ▁and ▁meeting ▁to ▁elect ▁their ▁own ▁officials . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁e ve ▁of ▁em an cip ation ▁approximately ▁ 1 1 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁on ▁the ▁islands ▁were ▁fre ed ▁colored ▁people . ▁ ▁Sk illed ▁slaves ▁could ▁buy ▁their ▁freedom ▁by ▁ear ning ▁w ages ▁for ▁their ▁craft s , ▁such ▁as ▁car p entry ▁and ▁m ason ry , ▁on ▁their ▁day ▁off . ▁Fre edom ▁could ▁also ▁be ▁gained ▁legisl atively ▁and ▁through ▁will s . ▁ ▁Children ▁with ▁slave ▁moth ers ▁and ▁white ▁f athers ▁enjoyed ▁relative ▁freedom ▁of ▁movement , ▁but ▁were ▁still ▁bar red ▁from ▁ow ning ▁land ▁and ▁thus ▁particip ating ▁in ▁government