Background

     The Jamaica Royal Commission Report includes testimonies from witnesses of the Morant Bay Rebellion. While it highlights the experiences of several witnesses in the 1,100-page report, many do not have access to this information due to its lack of accessibility through digital tools. 

Our digital humanities class took these printed stories and transcribed them into a digital form so we could more easily access and analyze this important historical document. 

My Experience 

     While transcribing my portion of the Jamaican Royal Commission report, I found myself being able to better understand the tone and possible inner thoughts of the witness and questioner. From my personal experience, merely reading dense text is difficult. I find it hard to comprehend and piece together the tone of the situation. Having to actually write out each word from these testimonies provided an immersive experience. I started to tie feelings such as frustration, annoyance, and embarrassment to the dialogue even though these feelings were never explicitly stated. 

     I transcribed the testimonies of Sarah Tyne, Amelia Gibbons, and Maria Blake. While giving each an initial read-through, I was immediately overwhelmed by the format of the text. The way each question was numbered, the way they spoke was unfamiliar, and the tight spacing between each line made it difficult for me to focus on the content and want to keep reading. 

     I noticed that in each question, the women usually gave short answers, leaving out the details of the context of the situation. This may be because they were nervous or they were trying to protect their peers, family, friends, etc. Looking into the questions asked, I could tell that they were beginning to feel frustrated by the short responses given. I don’t think that this is something I would have picked up on if I didn’t transcribe it. I gained a better understanding of the dark underlying tone of each testimony. Although I already went into it expecting a dark tone, I felt much more connected with the witnesses through this process.