To direct the Secretary of the Interior to install a plaque at the peak of Ram Head in the Virgin Islands National Park on St. John, United States Virgin Islands, to commemorate the slave rebellion that began on St. John in 1733.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7496) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to install a plaque at the peak of Ram Head in the Virgin Islands National Park on St. John, United States Virgin Islands, to commemorate the slave rebellion that began on St. John in 1733.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7496, introduced by my colleague, Representative Stacey Plaskett.

This bill will direct the Secretary of the Interior to install a plaque at the peak of Ram Head in the Virgin Islands National Park to commemorate the slave rebellion that began in St. John in 1733.

The slave insurrection on St. John is the first time in which enslaved people successfully took control of a colony, and it served as a spark to later slave revolts that would take place. After half a year of fighting, opposition troops defeated the uprising in St. John.

As a last cry for freedom, the last remaining slave rebels died by suicide by drowning themselves at Ram Head in a collective act of defiance. Installing a commemorative plaque in the Virgin Islands National Park will honor the sacrifices of the rebels and ensure that visitors who hike to the top of Ram Head learn and reflect on this powerful history.

I thank my colleague, Representative Plaskett, for introducing this legislation, championing this bill on behalf of her constituents.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 7496 would require the National Park Service to install a plaque on the Ram Head Trail in the Virgin Islands National Park recognizing a slave rebellion that began on St. John in 1733. I applaud Delegate Plaskett for leading this effort along with the support of Congressman Reschenthaler.

In 1733, the island of St. John in Danish West Indies was occupied by roughly 200 European settlers and more than 1,000 African slaves, most of whom were starving following a major drought and a devastating hurricane.

To quell disorder amongst the slaves, strict mandates were imposed that inflicted severe punishments against rebelling slaves.

On November 23, 1733, a group of slaves took possession of a Danish fort while another group overtook plantations, resulting in rebel control of most of the island. Danish troops could not manage the revolt, and French troops came to aid, assisting in the capture and execution of the rebels. Rather than be captured, some rebels chose to instead commit collective suicide, involving 11 rebels whose bodies were found at the Ram Head rebel camp.

The plaque authorized by H.R. 7496 would include important facts about this rebellion. Information about the tragic suicide that occurred during the rebellion, and the significance of the slave rebellion to the history of this island.

The Ram Head Trail is a popular tourist destination, and the marker commemorating the 1733 slave rebellion will serve to educate the public about this heartbreaking event in world history and the freedom fighters who bravely took a stand against the evils of slavery.

Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.