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. Let us know how access to this document benefits you. Escaped africans who were enslaved during spanish rule over jamaica 14931656 may have been the first to develop such refugee communities. The isolation used to their advantage by the ancestors has today led to their communities being amongst the most inaccessible on the island. The rights of the maroons in the emerging ganja industry. Aug 31, 2016 at the same time commodification of maroon culture is on the rise, particularly as it pertains to tourism. In the beginning, as humans started to leave africa, included with the second ooa group were the albinos of caucasian phenotype africans horn africans, dravidians indians who were probably motivated by a quest for relief from the heat and burning sunshine. Maroon community, a group of formerly enslaved africans and their descendants who gained their freedom by fleeing chattel enslavement and running to the safety and cover of the remote mountains or the dense overgrown tropical terrains near the plantations.
Christopher columbus discovered jamaica in 1494, but people have in habited the island for thousands of years before. Their response was to get as far away from the colonial pawns and slave owners as possible, and so. Today, four major maroon colonies still exist in jamaicas rugged western cockpit country and in the eastern blue mountains. Proceedings of the governor and assembly of jamaica, in. Proceedings of the governor and assembly of jamaica, in regard to the maroon negroes. This crucial time in jamaican history marked the end of spanish power and the rise of an independent force in jamaica, the maroons.
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. Bourgoin depicting british troops caught in an ambush by a group of maroons in 1795. Hence the term came to connote wild, untamed and escaped slaves. Maroons were african slaves who fled their captors and lived in the mountains. Among the wild mountains of jamaica, the maroons dwelt in a savage. A careful and thorough study of the jamaican maroons from the british conquest to the late 18th century. There was little formation of maroon communities in jamaica. 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 royalist maroons of jamaica in the british atlantic world, 1740.
They were paid two dollars for each slave returned. To which is prefixed, an introductory account, containing, observations on the disposition, character, manners, and habits of life, of the maroons, and a detail of the origin, progress, and termination of the late war between those people and. Perhaps the most wellknown maroon societies are the ones that existed, and in fact still exist, in jamaica. They fled to the mountainous areas of jamaica, where it was difficult for their owners to. The jamaican maroons are descendants of africans who fought and escaped from slavery and established free communities in the mountainous interior of jamaica during the era of slavery. 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.
Mar 01, 2018 the maroons of jamaica have historically grown ganja on their lands for personal, medicinal, and spiritual, as well as commercial, purposes. The first nanny town was destroyed during the first maroon war in 1734. There they settled, and over time, they became known as maroons. There are ongoing conflicts over the political autonomy of the community, with the maroons insisting that the jamaica government uphold the treaty rights that they were granted by the british government in 1739 and the jamaican government asserting that there is no difference between the. The first british governor, robert hunter, was frustrated by jamaicas mountainous terrain, which the maroon leaders used to their advantage. Tired and thirsty with climbing, the weary soldiers toil on, in single file. Without a properly reconstructed history of the maroons in jamaica, the history of jamaica remains incomplete. 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. Tv had the pleasure of holding a reasoning in accomopong with a brethren who is very knowledgeable in the history of jamaicas rebellious. Acceptance of maroon autonomy as a kind of mythic quality belonging to all jamaicans is exemplified by a letter recently published in the daily gleaner, jamaicas main newspaper, in which the writer waxes enthusiastic about the magic of witnessing a traditional celebration of the maroons, our own sturdy, independent descendants of brave. In 1796 approximately 600 jamaican maroons were deported from jamaica to nova scotia because of their rebellion against the colonial government. The fighting maroons of jamaica national library of australia. Through the use of slave labor, the production of sugar in this british colony flourished. The maroons retreated to the mountains throughout the midseventeenth century, unaware of the impact they would make on british and jamaican history.
Jamaican maroons in nova scotia the canadian encyclopedia. By 1720, the maroons took the offensive, mounting raids against british plantations along the base of the mountains. 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. The obscured history of jamaicas maroon societies jstor daily. The same designation has also became a derivation for the verb marooning. To this day, the maroons in jamaica to some extent remains autonomous and separate from the rest of the jamaican culture. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. The accompong maroons of jamaica harness within their social order distinct approaches. They ran away from their spanishowned plantations when the british took the caribbean island of jamaica from spain in 1655. A history of resistance, collaboration and betrayal campbell, mavis c. The first british governor, robert hunter, was frustrated by jamaica s mountainous terrain, which the maroon leaders used to their advantage. A journey through their history and their ethnic identity formation the maroons, by their daily struggle for freedom, forged for themselves an identity according to which they judge themselves. Also, some maroons kept their freedom by agreeing to capture runaway slaves. The authentic and original history if the maroons in the history of jamaica, 14901880.
Jamaican maroons the indomitable maroons of jamaica. Being the exactly opposite of the intended meaning of their name, maroons in jamaica were highly skilled, clever, organized and courageous men and women, who, despite being forced to unfamiliar lands, were able to easily adapt and. The british never recognized the maroons as independent and did not view the treaty as a document that would bring balance between the two nations. The maroons still preserved their traditional practice, culture and celebration. This article examines the practices of captivity among the maroons of jamaica during the early colonial period. Healing herbs of jamaica start download portable document format pdf and ebooks. Jamaica is known for many things like its beaches, wildlife, and reggae music. Jamaica was notoriously used by the english as a transit station for seasoning african slaves and then reexporting them to other caribbean islands or the mainland colonies in north america as well as hispanic america. Join us for an unbelievable day in the blue mountains as we explore maroon culture. Jul 11, 2018 the jamaican maroons ourstory i never knew tv. 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 history of jamaican maroons essay 2381 words bartleby. The spanishs runaway african slaves escaped into to the mountains and became known as the maroons, the first african slaves to live in freedom from the colonial rule in.
Ebook healing herbs of jamaica as pdf download portable. Today, maroon communities live and thrive in jamaica. The maroons of jamaica have historically grown ganja on their lands for personal, medicinal, and spiritual, as well as commercial, purposes. 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. Charles jeffries, the colonial empire and its civil service cambridge. When admirals penn and venables landed in jamaica, in 1655, there was not a remnant left of the sixty. The jamaican maroons were not a small rebel community, instead they were a complex polity that operated as such from 16551770. There were many years of peace between the maroons and the british in jamaica. African slaves imported during the spanish period may have provided the first runaways.
In this paper, i argue that the practice of holding people in bondage in maroon communities, which was strongly influenced by the west. Upward of 1,500 slaves revolted across the island, but there is. We can trace the tale of the courageous run away slaves, or maroons of jamaica, back to 1655, when the british captured that island. However, with the financial crisis impacting the world they too struggle to thrive economically. Ethnic origins of jamaican runaway slaves tracing african roots. After being brought to jamaica in the course of the transatlantic slave trade, many slaves fled from the oppressive conditions of plantations and formed their own communities in the rugged, hilly interior of the island. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. In 17381739, after 84 years of almost continuous warfare, the first series of maroon wars ended and a peace treaty was negotiated with the british. Aug 04, 2010 a segment from our show island stylee takes a look at the maroons of jamaica. The maroons are descendants of west africans, mainly people from the ashanti region of what is today ghana. We hear from colonel wallace sterling, leader of the moretown maroons at the celebrations honoring nanny. It was later adopted by kopytoff, the maroons of jamaica, pp. Courtesy department of lands and evaluation, jamaica.
A segment from our show island stylee takes a look at the maroons of jamaica. Maroons played an important role in the histories of brazil, suriname, puerto rico, haiti, dominican republic, cuba, and jamaica. The maroons in ambush on the dromilly estate in the. She was known by both the maroons and the british settlers as an outstanding military leader who became, in her lifetime and after, a symbol of unity and strength for her people during times of crisis. In 1655, englishmen william penn and general robert venables took the last spanish fort in jamaica, forced them off the island, and claimed it as the property of england. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle. The maroons of jamaica black resistance against slavery.
Mar 26, 2012 jamaica is known for many things like its beaches, wildlife, and reggae music. The maroons of jamaica the good, the bad, and the forgotten. The word maroon comes from the spanish word cimarrones, which meant mountaineers. 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. Collins and sangster jamaica kingston wikipedia citation please see wikipedias template documentation for further citation fields that may be. Jamaican maroons, in the beginning, were not maroons as we know them today. The spanishs runaway african slaves escaped into to the mountains and became known as the maroons, the first african slaves to live in freedom from the. Collins and sangster jamaica kingston wikipedia citation please see wikipedias template documentation for further citation fields that may be required. To a muslim, the whole world is a house of worship. There is much variety among maroon cultural groups because of differences in history, geography, african nationality, and the culture of indigenous people throughout the western hemisphere. Jamaica has a mix of people from different races, religions, and countries so its culture is varied. There, the duke of kent was so impressed with the marrons he formed some into a military unit, furnishing them with uniforms with metal buttons struck with jamaica to the maroons 1796, with an image of a crocodile clenching a sheaf of wheat and an olive branch in its jaws. From 1729 to 1739, a state of open warfare existed between the british and the maroons.
The presence of islam in the form of existing historical institutions and vernacular culture in predominantly black christian maroon communities in jamaica is an eye opener to. The maroons fought to maintain their freedom in jamaica, where they had established several independent communities as early as the mid1600s. The maroons, escaped slaves in the west indies, were feared by colonists and slave owners for their fearsome fighting ability and magical arts. Upward of 1,500 slaves revolted across the island, but there is no evidence that the majority of. Throughout the eighteenth century, jamaican maroons, or original bands of. 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 in ambush on the dromilly estate in the parish of trelawney, jamaica. The spanish colonists fled from jamaica after the land was captured in 1655. I first mention the number of hits in the pdf file for 17181795 followed by the one for 18101817. The history of jamaican maroons european colonialism in the caribbean was dependent upon the use of african slaves as a major source of labor. The history of the maroons of jamaica has african roots and begins in the year 1690, when a small number of slaves that had been brought from the komoranti nation in africa the akan region of west africa or present day ghana fled from the hardships of. View maroons in jamaica research papers on academia. In halifax, the maroon bastion, part of the citadel, was built. They were just individuals trying to escape the future of slavery waiting for them in jamaica. Pdf maroons originate from armed selfemancipation against enslavement in the americas. These escaped salves inherited the name maroons, which is derived from the spanish word cimarrones meaning unruly, fugitive or wild. The obscured history of jamaicas maroon societies jstor. Acceptance of maroon autonomy as a kind of mythic quality belonging to all jamaicans is exemplified by a letter recently published in the daily gleaner, jamaica s main newspaper, in which the writer waxes enthusiastic about the magic of witnessing a traditional celebration of the maroons, our own sturdy, independent descendants of brave. The leaders of the maroons did meet british officers to accept a peace agreement offered to them. The maroons of jamaica excerpted from the book travellers and outlaws, episodes in american history, section black.
The fighting maroons of jamaica robinson, carey on. Published september 2, published september 2, 2004, pp. The history of the maroons of jamaica has african roots and begins in the year 1690, when a small number of slaves that had been brought from the komoranti nation in africa the akan region of west africa or present day ghana fled from the hardships of plantation life and migrated to the mountains. If that struggle and identity are not understood then any judgment of them is not valid. Isolation protected jamaicas maroons from slavery but also prevented them from partaking in the prosperity of the growing british empire. The word maroon is commonly believed to be derived from. See george cumper, the maroons in the 18th century. The jamaican maroons, 16551770 jonathan brooks, university of north carolina wilmington. Apr 30, 2017 nanny town in jamaica is named after nanny of the maroons 16861755. The rights of the maroons in the emerging ganja industry in. The fighting maroons of jamaica national library of. Maroon societies in jamaica can trace their roots back to the 1500s, when the ruling spanish captured african muslims living in spain at the time, enslaved them, and brought them to jamaica. But the courageous resistance of the maroons threatened this prosperous industry.