The leaders of the maroons did meet british officers to accept a peace agreement offered to them. Maroons by addressing the accompong maroon conference in 2012, at which members of the windward maroons were present. There is much modern writing on this topic, sometimes suffering from presentism when the maroons are viewed from modern perspectives which do not take adequately into account the context of earlier centuries. During the 18th century, the powerful maroons, escaped exslaves who settled in the mountains of jamaica, carved out a significant area of influence. The history of jamaican maroons european colonialism in the caribbean was dependent upon the use of african slaves as a major source of labor. 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. 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.
In 1840, the 64 maroons were among the first 261 free african settlers aboard the hector. The british retaliated by sending troops across the island to capture the maroons. The jamaican maroons are often described as enslaved africans and persons. The maroons retreated to the mountains throughout the midseventeenth century, unaware of the impact they would make on british and jamaican history. In the ensuing decades, the maroons used guerilla tactics to inflict a string of military defeats on the british. There were many years of peace between the maroons and the british in jamaica. Maroons of jamaica essay 64 words free essay examples. 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 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. They fled to the mountainous areas of jamaica, where it was difficult for their owners to follow and catch them, and formed independent communities as free men. 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 maroons would frequently invade the british plantations in search of ammunition, food, cattle, and also to free other slaves. 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. 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.
Maroons in guatemala, 1630s thomas gage was a catholic priest from england who lived and traveled in central america from 1625 to 1637. The maroons of jamaica black resistance against slavery against. Senator the honourable mark golding government of jamaica. 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 black resistance against slavery. This article examines the practices of captivity among the maroons of jamaica during the early colonial period. A detailed of history of the accompong maroons in jamaica. 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. 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. Maroons and free blacks in spanish america, 1600s, thomas. A careful and thorough study of the jamaican maroons from the british conquest to the late 18th century. 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. Maroons of jamaica forged an identity for themselves in the century under.
Recommended citation henry, lennon claude, the maroons and freedom in jamaica 1969. 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. Christopher columbus discovered jamaica in 1494, but people have in habited the island for thousands of years before. Some had escaped from slavery on plantations to form independent communities, but others had always been free, including those born in such settlements. By 1530, slave revolts had broken out in mexico, hispaola and panama. 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. West african influence on both the jamaican slaves and the free maroons in the decades. 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. Nanny of the maroons was a powerful, black, female historical figure. Maroons often mixed with indigenous peoples of the americas, creating creole cultures. 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. 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. Under it the maroons are to be left alone on their land, free from outside interference and responsible for their own criminal code. 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.
Maroon music from the earliest free black communities of jamaica cd and liner notes. The second immigration of free blacks into the province of nova scotia was similar to the first in that it developed from. The lifestyle of the early maroons was a combination of taino and african traditions, which were similar in many ways. The history of jamaican maroons essay 2381 words bartleby. As a signatory to the united nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples, jamaica recognizes the need for the protection of. Through the use of slave labor, the production of sugar in this british colony flourished. 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. Maroons and free blacks in spanish america, 1600s, thomas gage. It has been accepted for inclusion in dissertations and theses by an authorized administrator of. The land ceded to the maroons was around flagstaff in trelawny and was named trelawny town, and at accompong in st elizabeth. 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.
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. A history of resistance, collaboration and betrayal. Finally, the english made a promise to abolish slavery if these people stopped their revolts. 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. Some fought the british, some spoke out for freedom and justice and were martyred, some played a part in establishing jamaicas independence. The jamaican maroons are often described as enslaved africans and persons of noticeable african descent who ran away or escaped from their masters. 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. Upward of 1,500 slaves revolted across the island, but there is no evidence that the majority of. A secondary purpose is to provide material and information which. Bilby, music of the maroons of jamaica lp record and liner notes. Ebook healing herbs of jamaica as pdf download portable. While she is left out of most history books, she is no less valuable. 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 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.
In this paper, i argue that the practice of holding people in bondage in maroon communities, which was strongly influenced by the west. 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. 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 british retaliated by sending troops across the. 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. This resulted in ongoing tension between the groups, and the first maroon war took place in about 1734. Nanny was not born into the maroons, rather she came from ghana. Published september 2, published september 2, 2004, pp. 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. Escaped africans who were enslaved during spanish rule over jamaica 14931656 may have been the first to develop such refugee communities. In brazil, cuba, and jamaica, people escaped into the mountains and made their homes in densely vegetated hills. 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 maroons and freedom in jamaica by lennon claude henry.
Jamaican maroons the indomitable maroons of jamaica. The maroons of jamaica have historically grown ganja on their lands for personal, medicinal, and spiritual, as well as commercial, purposes. In 1739 the english, unable to defeat the maroons, signed treaties with the two major maroon polities, in the. View maroons in jamaica research papers on academia. Jan 20, 20 some fought the british, some spoke out for freedom and justice and were martyred, some played a part in establishing jamaica s independence. This thesis is brought to you for free and open access.
In 1648 he published an account of his experiences, the englishamerican his travel by sea and land. The black seminoles in florida found refuge in central florida swamps. 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. In jamaica, the maroons occupied a mountainous region known as the cockpit, creating crude fortresses and a culture derived from african and european.
The rights of the maroons in the emerging ganja industry in. A history of resistance, collaboration and betrayal campbell, mavis c. 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. A social, economic and demographic history of maroon society in jamaica, 17391842 pdf phd. 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. It has been accepted for inclusion in dissertations and theses by an authorized administrator of pdxscholar. To a muslim, the whole world is a house of worship. But the courageous resistance of the maroons threatened this prosperous industry. She may have been a free woman who traveled to jamaica with slaves of her own.
The royalist maroons of jamaica in the british atlantic. Jamaica is known for many things like its beaches, wildlife, and reggae music. The fighting maroons of jamaica robinson, carey on. Jamaica has a mix of people from different races, religions, and countries so its culture is varied. The spanish called these free slaves maroons, a word derived from cimarron, which means fierce or unruly. 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. Many have written about jamaicas windward and leeward maroons over three centuries plus, expressing a variety of view points. In 1796 approximately 600 jamaican maroons were deported from jamaica to nova scotia because of their rebellion against the colonial government. Maroons are descendants of africans in the americas who formed settlements away from slavery. Cudjoe, the negro chief, and the maroons of jamaica full.
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