The growth of free villages in Jamaica and Guyana after 1838 was encouraged by several factors, including the abolition of slavery, which led to the release of a large number of enslaved people who were able to establish their own communities. Additionally, the British government provided land grants to these newly freed people, which allowed them to establish their own villages and engage in subsistence farming. The establishment of free villages also allowed for the development of a sense of community and collective identity among the formerly enslaved people. Finally, the establishment of free villages helped to address the labor shortage that resulted from the abolition of slavery, as the newly freed people were able to provide labor for the sugar plantations on a contract basis.