The obscured history of jamaicas maroon societies jstor. Nanny was not born into the maroons, rather she came from ghana. Conquest also remained a dominant theme throughout the eighteenth century jamaican frontiers. But those that made treaties with the british crown in jamaica in 1739 were destined for special fame or infamy, depending on the perspective. 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. Today there are four major maroon communities in jamaica. 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. However, in 1655 when the british invaded the island, many spaniards fled to cuba, and released their slaves as. Perhaps the most wellknown maroon societies are the ones that existed, and in fact still exist, in jamaica. There were many years of peace between the maroons and the british in jamaica. Shop now i never knew tv had the pleasure of holding a reasoning in accomopong with a brethren who is very knowledgeable in the h. 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. When youre done, you can download your jamaica travel guide to your phone or tablet, or print it as a pdf. During their settlement of the island 16551807, the british brought more africans to work on the sugar plantations.
European colonizers had yet to explore these regions. Though hugely outnumbered and poorly equipped, they launched a highly. According to the oral tradition and at least one documentary source, she was never enslaved. 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. A secondary purpose is to provide material and information which. The maroons in ambush on the dromilly estate in the parish of trelawney, jamaica in 1795. A history of resistance, collaboration and betrayal campbell, mavis c. European colonists and free, nonwhite communities in other regions. African slaves imported during the spanish period may have provided the first runaways, apparently mixing with the native american taino or arawak citation needed people that remained. She may have been a free woman who traveled to jamaica with slaves of her own.
Recommended citation henry, lennon claude, the maroons and freedom in jamaica 1969. The leaders of the maroons did meet british officers to accept a peace agreement offered to them. West african influence on both the jamaican slaves and the free maroons in the decades. Maroons had been collecting in the interior of jamaica since the spanish gave the island over to the english in 1660.
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 campaign against them made the maroons more determined than ever. 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. 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. Pages in category jamaican maroons the following 25 pages are in this category, out of 25 total. A history of resistance, collaboration and betrayal. Maroons of jamaica gathered in desolate mountain regions, sinkholes, forests, and caves. The maroons and the abeng jamaica information service. Escaped africans who were enslaved during spanish rule over jamaica 14931656 may have been the first to develop such refugee communities. This took place after they contributed to the near extinction of the native taino arawaks from overwork and european diseases.
Maroons is a name of betrayal legacy it is bad be true to yourselves and. The spanish called these free slaves maroons, a word derived from cimarron, which means fierce or unruly. This article is brought to you for free and open access. Christopher columbus discovered jamaica in 1494, but people have in habited the island for thousands of years before. In the early 18th century, they fought a multiyear war against british colonizers in jamaica. This is part of the greater research on islam in jamaica since columbus. The original maroons were the indigenous tainos and enslaved africans brought to the island by the spanish, who were set free when the british captured jamaica in 1655. During the 18th century, the powerful maroons, escaped exslaves who settled in the mountains of jamaica, carved out a significant area of influence. Queen nanny was born in what is today ghana of the akan or ashanti people. Their numbers grew with each runaway slave, and the spanish began to. In this paper, i argue that the practice of holding people in bondage in maroon communities, which was strongly influenced by the west. 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 maroon communities were begun 150 years later, when the spanish left jamaica to the.
Their numbers were soon increased by escapees from the new english plantations, some of whom joined them, but most of whom set up their own. It has been accepted for inclusion in dissertations and theses by an authorized administrator of. Jamaica is known for many things like its beaches, wildlife, and reggae music. Pdf the position taken in this paper is that while it is generally true. Upward of 1,500 slaves revolted across the island, but there is no evidence that the majority of. 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.
The history of the maroons constitutes an important aspect of the historical study of jamaica particularly because of the british recognition of their societies as separate entities beyond the. Under their leader called cudjoe, the maroons fought back. The history of jamaican maroons essay 2381 words bartleby. The jamaican maroons are descended from runaway slaves who established free communities in the mountains of jamaica during the era of slavery on the island. Akan day names predominated among the maroons and other african people of jamaica. All you have to do is select the type of places youd like to include restaurants, museums, etc. A number of authors contribute to this discussion, notably rex.
From their origin to the establishment of their chief tribe at sierra leone, including the expedition to cuba, for the purpose of procuring spanish chasseurs. Few knew of the maroons precise locations, especially during the early period from 17001740. They were seen as a constant threat by the government. Under it the maroons are to be left alone on their land, free from outside interference and responsible for their own criminal code.
The second immigration of free blacks into the province of nova scotia was similar to the first in that it developed from. 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. The maroons of jamaica black resistance against slavery. The fighting maroons of jamaica robinson, carey on. The authentic and original history if the maroons in the history of jamaica, 14901880. 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. The maroons made extensive contact almost on a daily basis with slaves on the plantation, trading food. Jamaican maroons descend from maroons, africans who escaped from slavery onto the island of jamaica and established free communities in the mountainous. The maroons of jamaica the good, the bad, and the forgotten.
Through the use of slave labor, the production of sugar in this british colony flourished. In jamaica, the maroons occupied a mountainous region known as the cockpit, creating crude fortresses and a culture derived from african and european traditions. Why the treaty frees the maroons harvard university. Hence the term came to connote wild, untamed and escaped slaves. Jamaica has a mix of people from different races, religions, and countries so its culture is varied. The lifestyle of the early maroons was a combination of taino and african traditions, which were similar in many ways. It has been accepted for inclusion in dissertations and theses by an authorized administrator of pdxscholar. Introduction many have written about jamaicas windward and leeward maroons over three centuries plus, expressing a variety of view points. As the maroon population grew, the jamaican government decided to defeat the maroons once and for all. 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. Funkin jamaica jamaica funk, thats what it is let it get into you cmon, ive got a groove you know where ill be, funkin for jamaica if ya feel it, let it get into you jamaica funk, thats what it is baby, let it get into you i feel it inside my soul let it get into you cause theres enough to go all the way around.
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. 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 fighting maroons of jamaica national library of. This means that each day was assigned a particular name, and a baby was named according to which day of the week he or she was born. But the courageous resistance of the maroons threatened this prosperous industry. For example, a baby born on sunday was named kwesi in.
The history of jamaican maroons european colonialism in the caribbean was dependent upon the use of african slaves as a major source of labor. 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. 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. In 1840, the 64 maroons were among the first 261 free african settlers aboard the hector. 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 maroons of jamaica, rather than being a homogenous group, were. To a muslim, the whole world is a house of worship. This article examines the practices of captivity among the maroons of jamaica during the early colonial period. The present paper attempts to study the islamic heritage of the maroons in jamaica.
By 1611 jamaica had a population of 558 black slaves, 107 free blacks, and between 1,200 and 1,400 spaniards. Jamaica, this classcolor distinction has played a much more prominent role in assigning people value, which stemmed directly from the way the system of slavery was established and implemented on the island. There is much modern writing on this topic, sometimes suffering from presentism when the maroons are viewed from modern perspectives which do not take. The royalist maroons of jamaica in the british atlantic world, 1740. 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. 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. Inevitably, some of these slaves escaped and formed isolated communities that allowed them to live outside the whitedominated plantation societies that were the norm of the time. The maroons and freedom in jamaica by lennon claude henry. Collins and sangster jamaica kingston wikipedia citation please see wikipedias template documentation for further citation fields that may be required. Jamaican maroons the indomitable maroons of jamaica. View maroons in jamaica research papers on academia. English conquest on may 10, 1655, an english expedition, commanded by admiral william penn and general robert venables, landed at the presentday coastal town of passage fort, in the southeastern parish of saint catherine. 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.