But, in 1795, the new governor of jamaica, balcarres, decided to deal with some minor breaches of the peace treaty by a community of maroons called the trelawney town. The purpose of this essay is to present a history of the maroons from their earliest rebellions to their present role in contemporary jamaican society. The firsttime maroons the people who would become the known as the trelawny town maroons first attracted the attention of the british plantocracy in 1690, when a group of about 400 enslaved africans escaped from bondage. There is much modern writing on this topic, sometimes suffering from presentism when the maroons are viewed from modern perspectives which do not take. Jamaican maroons the indomitable maroons of jamaica. It has been accepted for inclusion in dissertations and theses by an authorized administrator of pdxscholar. The maroons whose number kept swelling from the addition of more runaway slaves continued to raid the english plantations and become a thorn in englands plan to colonize jamaica but it was tolerated until 1663 when an offer was made for land and full freedom to any maroon who surrendered. The spanish colonists fled from jamaica after the land was captured in 1655. Through the use of slave labor, the production of sugar in this british colony flourished. In 1739 the english, unable to defeat the maroons, signed treaties with the two major maroon polities, in the eastern and western mountains of the island. Finally, the english made a promise to abolish slavery if these people stopped their revolts. In jamaica, the maroons occupied a mountainous region known as the cockpit, creating crude fortresses and a culture derived from african and european traditions.
Their numbers grew with each runaway slave, and the spanish began to. Upward of 1,500 slaves revolted across the island, but there is no evidence that the majority of. During the 18th century, the powerful maroons, escaped exslaves who settled in the mountains of jamaica, carved out a significant area of influence. Escaped africans who were enslaved during spanish rule over jamaica 14931656 may have been the first to develop such refugee communities. The institutionalised description of maroons as runaway slaves has been passed down from generation to generation for years, however, colonel of the moore town maroons in portland, wallace. The fighting maroons of jamaica robinson, carey on. For over 150 years, the maroons helped to free slaves from the plantations whilst they damaged land and property belonging to the plantation owners. The british needed workers for jamaicas plantations and sent abundant displays of jamaican produce to africa to attract them to settle in jamaica and work for wages. The maroons of jamaica date back to 1517 when the spaniards, who were the first europeans to colonize the island, imported enslaved africans as cheap labor. Choice this richly textured study of the struggles of the maroons of jamaica against the british colonial authorities, their subsequent collaboration with and betrayal by them, will be of great interest to historians of africa. The jamaican maroons are often described as enslaved africans and persons.
Ebook healing herbs of jamaica as pdf download portable. A detailed of history of the accompong maroons in jamaica. Maroons and free blacks in spanish america, 1600s, thomas gage. Jan 31, 2016 a board that pays homage to my jamaican maroon heritage. This article examines the practices of captivity among the maroons of jamaica during the early colonial period. Introduction many have written about jamaicas windward and leeward maroons over three centuries plus, expressing a variety of view points. Upward of 1,500 slaves revolted across the island, but there is no evidence that the majority of revolts were initiated by maroons, unlike brazil where.
Choice this richly textured study of the struggles of the maroons of jamaica against the british colonial authorities, their subsequent collaboration with and betrayal by. During the 17th and 18th centuries, some of the africans brought to jamaica as slaves escaped to the mountains. Maroon music from the earliest free black communities of jamaica various artists featuring complex, west african influenced drumming and dancing, this littleknown rural tradition is at the heart of modern, politically charged reggae music. Although the maroons numbers were small about 2,000 in an island whose population comprised of 250,000 slaves, 25,000 whites, 32,000 free black and. There they settled, and over time, they became known as maroons. It has been accepted for inclusion in dissertations and theses by an authorized administrator of. The authentic and original history if the maroons in the history of jamaica, 14901880. The maroons of jamaica are descendants of bands of escaped slaves who fought a guerrilla war with the english in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. They were signed two related but separate maroon communities in jamaica. A history of resistance, collaboration and betrayal campbell, mavis c. As a signatory to the united nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples, jamaica recognizes the need for the protection of. But the courageous resistance of the maroons threatened this prosperous industry. Senator the honourable mark golding government of jamaica. Jamaica, maroon, bondage, captivity, akan, native american 1.
Published september 2, published september 2, 2004, pp. The maroons of jamaica and nova scotia, extract from proceedings of canadian institute, 1890 the african in canada reprinted from the proceedings of the association for the advancement of science, v. A history of resistance, collaboration and betrayal. To a muslim, the whole world is a house of worship. There were many years of peace between the maroons and the british in jamaica. With a vast knowledge of the uninhabited jamaican mountain side, the maroons were able to wage war against british planters and eventually contract a peace agreement with the british. Jamaican maroons descend from maroons, africans who escaped from slavery onto the island of jamaica and established free communities in the mountainous. Christopher columbus discovered jamaica in 1494, but people have in habited the island for thousands of years before. This took place after they contributed to the near extinction of the native taino arawaks from overwork and european diseases. Pdf the position taken in this paper is that while it is generally true that. However, the colonial legal system of jamaica in the nineteenth century purported to abrogate maroon rights within their lands and territories, resulting in arrests and convictions for ganja offences on maroon lands in subsequent years. The maroons of jamaica black resistance against slavery.
The maroons of jamaica, as seen over the centuries. Maroons of jamaica forged an identity for themselves in the century under. Escaped africans who were enslaved during spanish rule over jamaica 14931656 may have been the first to develop such refugee communities the british, who invaded the island in 1655. I went to a maroon museum when i went to ja on a cruise and it really changed the way i looked at history and what happened in that part of the world. Cudjoe, the negro chief, and the maroons of jamaica full. The word maroon is commonly believed to be derived from the english equivalent of the. This thesis is brought to you for free and open access. Articles of pacification with the maroons of trelawney town, concluded march the first, 1738. This resulted in ongoing tension between the groups, and the first maroon war took place in about 1734. West african influence on both the jamaican slaves and the free maroons in the decades. Some had escaped from slavery on plantations to form independent communities, but others had always been free, including those born in such settlements.
Maroons by addressing the accompong maroon conference in 2012, at which members of the windward maroons were present. See more ideas about jamaica, black history and african diaspora. By 1530, slave revolts had broken out in mexico, hispaola and panama. In brazil, cuba, and jamaica, people escaped into the mountains and made their homes in densely vegetated hills. Constructed from the oral histories of one of the most secretive groups in the caribbean, the maroons of jamaica. The maroons of jamaica have historically grown ganja on their lands for personal, medicinal, and spiritual, as well as commercial, purposes. The story about nanny who is a jamaican hero iirc and on money in jamaica talks all about how she used to do obeah and how it saved the maroons in jamaica. North americas hidden history rather than live in bondage, groups of african slaves escaped into the southern wilderness, joining with indians to create free, independent communities. The lifestyle of the early maroons was a combination of taino and african traditions, which were similar in many ways. The spanish called these free slaves maroons, a word derived from cimarron, which means fierce or unruly.
A social, economic and demographic history of maroon society in jamaica, 17391842 pdf phd. In 1796 approximately 600 jamaican maroons were deported from jamaica to nova scotia because of their rebellion against the colonial government. Also of importance will be the conditions under which the maroons received freedom the british and to what extent these conditions continue to persist in an independent jamaica. Hence the term came to connote wild, untamed and escaped slaves. The british retaliated by sending troops across the island to capture the maroons. The black seminoles in florida found refuge in central florida swamps. The word maroon is derived from the spanish term cimarron, which was used initially to refer to domesticated cattle that had escaped to the hills of hispaniola and then later applied to runaway slaves in the americas, since the latter half of the 17 th century. While she is left out of most history books, she is no less valuable.
A careful and thorough study of the jamaican maroons from the british conquest to the late 18th century. Jamaican maroons descend from maroons, africans who escaped from slavery onto the island of jamaica and established free communities in the mountainous interior, primarily in the eastern parishes. The maroons and freedom in jamaica by lennon claude henry. Maroons and free blacks in spanish america, 1600s, thomas. However, with the financial crisis impacting the world they too struggle to thrive economically. Maroons in guatemala, 1630s thomas gage was a catholic priest from england who lived and traveled in central america from 1625 to 1637. The second immigration of free blacks into the province of nova scotia was similar to the first in that it developed from events entirely divorced from nova scotia history. Recommended citation henry, lennon claude, the maroons and freedom in jamaica 1969. Accompong remains maroon territory to this day, but after the second maroon war, the trelawny town land was taken away and most of the male maroons exiled to canada and then to africa. Under it the maroons are to be left alone on their land, free from outside interference and responsible for their own criminal code. The leaders of the maroons did meet british officers to accept a peace agreement offered to them. The royalist maroons of jamaica in the british atlantic world, 1740. Maroons often mixed with indigenous peoples of the americas, creating creole cultures.
The rights of the maroons in the emerging ganja industry. Jamaica has a mix of people from different races, religions, and countries so its culture is varied. Maroons are descendants of africans in the americas who formed settlements away from slavery. I never knew tv had the pleasure of holding a reasoning in accomopong with a brethren who is very knowledgeable in the history of jamaicas rebellious runaway slaves the maroons.
In jamaica, the maroons occupied a mountainous region known as the cockpit, creating crude fortresses and a culture derived from african and european. The british needed workers for jamaica s plantations and sent abundant displays of jamaican produce to africa to attract them to settle in jamaica and work for wages. Constructed from the oral histories of one of the most secretive groups in the caribbean, the maroons of jamaica, this book provides a unique view of a culture that has been nurtured by enslaved. However, in 1655 when the british invaded the island, many spaniards fled to cuba, and released their slaves as. The maroons, escaped slaves in the west indies, were feared by colonists and slave owners for their fearsome fighting ability and magical arts. Escaped africans who were enslaved during spanish rule over jamaica 14931656 may have been the first to develop such refugee communities the british, who invaded the island in 1655, expanded. Pdf captivity among the maroons of jamaica in the seventeenth. In 1648 he published an account of his experiences, the englishamerican his travel by sea and land. A secondary purpose is to provide material and information which. The maroons retreated to the mountains throughout the midseventeenth century, unaware of the impact they would make on british and jamaican history. Today, four major maroon colonies still exist in jamaicas rugged western cockpit country and in. The treaties signed by the leeward and then the windward maroons, with the english, were nearly identical. View maroons in jamaica research papers on academia. In 1739 the english, unable to defeat the maroons, signed treaties with the two major maroon polities, in the.
Nanny of the maroons was a powerful, black, female historical figure. The jamaican maroons are often described as enslaved africans and persons of noticeable african descent who ran away or escaped from their masters or owners to acquire and preserve their freedom. In this paper, i argue that the practice of holding people in bondage in maroon communities, which was strongly influenced by the west. In 1840, the 64 maroons were among the first 261 free african settlers aboard the hector. Today, maroon communities live and thrive in jamaica. The absence of a masjid, which is a formal house of worship for the muslims, as an archaeological evidence cannot be used as an argument to refute the islamic heritage of the jamaican maroons. Jamaica is known for many things like its beaches, wildlife, and reggae music. Healing herbs of jamaica top results of your surfing healing herbs of jamaica start download portable document format pdf and ebooks electronic books free online rating news 20162017 is books that can provide inspiration, insight, knowledge to the reader. In the ensuing decades, the maroons used guerilla tactics to inflict a string of military defeats on the british. The maroons made extensive contact almost on a daily basis with slaves on the plantation, trading food. The land ceded to the maroons was around flagstaff in trelawny and was named trelawny town, and at accompong in st elizabeth. The second immigration of free blacks into the province of nova scotia was similar to the first in that it developed from. The maroons would frequently invade the british plantations in search of ammunition, food, cattle, and also to free other slaves. The actions of the united states and jamaica in interfering with the maroons drug policy thus violate the treaty of peace between the maroons and the british, and should cease.
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