They ran away from their spanishowned plantations when the british took the caribbean island of jamaica from spain in 1655. Harris, made the transition into the ancestral realms. If that struggle and identity are not understood then any judgment of them is not valid. These slaves escaped from their plantations to become moun. In 1509 the spanish settled jamaica and brought with them the institution of slavery. The jamaican maroons are often described as enslaved africans and persons of noticeable african descent who ran away or escaped from their masters. 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. They were paid two dollars for each slave returned. This article examines the practices of captivity among the maroons of jamaica during the early colonial period. Under it the maroons are to be left alone on their land, free from outside interference and responsible for their own criminal code. Jamaican maroons the indomitable maroons of jamaica. In return, the maroons provided military assistance to the british, capturing and returning the enslaved who escaped the plantations, and, decades after emancipation, helping the british suppress the 1865 morant bay rebellion. Admiral sir william penn was the father of the quaker william penn. 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.
Many have written about jamaica s windward and leeward maroons over three centuries plus, expressing a variety of view points. 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. By 1720, the maroons took the offensive, mounting raids against british plantations along the base of the mountains. The name maroon was given to these fugitives, and for many years they harassed the british oolonial government of jamaiea.
The word maroon comes from the spanish word cimarrones, which meant mountaineers. In jamaica, the first maroons were the indigenous tainos, a group of arawak people that migrated from south and central america. Why the treaty frees the maroons harvard university. The fighting maroons of jamaica national library of australia. The second immigration of free blacks into the province of nova scotia was similar to the first in that it developed from. In 1796 approximately 600 jamaican maroons were deported from jamaica to nova scotia because of their rebellion against the colonial government.
A number of the first africans that were brought into jamaica by the spanish, 15 onwards, moved straight to the hills. A careful and thorough study of the jamaican maroons from the british conquest to the late 18th century. Held in the maroon community of charles town surrounded by jamaicas blue and john crow mountains, this interdisciplinary conference will explore issues, values, and practices of maroons and indigenous peoples as well as ideas about marronage and indigeneity to consider the ways they have endured, transformed, and resonated in the caribbean. 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. 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. They moved to the hills when the spanish invaded jamaica in 1494. Today, four major maroon colonies still exist in jamaicas rugged western cockpit country and in. Published september 2, published september 2, 2004, pp. 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. Upward of 1,500 slaves revolted across the island, but there is no evidence that the majority of. Today, four major maroon colonies still exist in jamaica s rugged western cockpit country and in the eastern blue mountains. Collins and sangster jamaica kingston wikipedia citation please see wikipedias template documentation for further citation fields that may be required. 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. When england seized jamaica from spain in 1655, the africans held in bondage by the spanish escaped into the interior of the island and began an 80 year struggle against the british.
When the english conquered the island of jamaica and drove the spaniards out of it, they failed to conquer its sable inhabitants, negroes who had been slaves. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. The accompong maroons of jamaica harness within their social order distinct approaches to environmental. As noted earlier the admiral is buried in st mary redcliffe church, bristol, england. 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. Click download or read online button to get healing herbs of jamaica book now. View maroons in jamaica research papers on academia. In this paper, i argue that the practice of holding people in bondage in maroon communities, which was strongly influenced by the west. There was little formation of maroon communities in jamaica. A secondary purpose is to provide material and information which. Also, some maroons kept their freedom by agreeing to capture runaway slaves. 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.
Maroons played an important role in the histories of brazil, suriname, puerto rico, haiti, dominican republic, cuba, and 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. But the courageous resistance of the maroons threatened this prosperous industry. The spanish colonists fled from jamaica after the land was captured in 1655. Slaverys exiles is the first booklength study of african and african american maroons in the american colonies and the united states. Many have written about jamaicas windward and leeward maroons over three centuries plus, expressing a variety of view points. They fled to the mountainous areas of jamaica, where it was difficult for their owners to. There they settled, and over time, they became known as maroons.
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. From 1729 to 1739, a state of open warfare existed between the british and the maroons. Through the use of slave labor, the production of sugar in this british colony flourished. Cudjoe, the negro chief, and the maroons of jamaica full. Escaped africans who were enslaved during spanish rule over jamaica 14931656 may have been the first to develop such refugee communities. They set up independent african societies, complete with towns, crops and armies in the mountains and valleys of jamaica. Christopher columbus discovered jamaica in 1494, but people have in habited the island for thousands of years before. During the 18th century, the powerful maroons, escaped exslaves who settled in the mountains of jamaica, carved out a significant area of influence.
The fighting maroons of jamaica robinson, carey on. Mar 26, 2012 jamaica is known for many things like its beaches, wildlife, and reggae music. In preparing the essay i oontacted primary, secon dary a. 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. What many people in bristol, including many of jamaican decent, do not know is that he was the sea general responsible for the attack on the spanish slave colony of jamaica and annexing it as an english colony in 1654. When the british captured jamaica from the spani ards in 1655, they ta11ed to subdue numerous negro slaves who were no longer content to be slaves. Maroons of jamaica forged an identity for themselves in the century under slavery. Jamaica has a mix of people from different races, religions, and countries so its culture is varied. Today there are four major maroon communities in jamaica. 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. Maroons, indigenous peoples, and indigeneity the caribbean. The word maroon is commonly believed to be derived from the english equivalent of the spanish. The maroons still preserved their traditional practice, culture and celebration. Maroon history, music, and sacred sounds in the americas.
The maroons and freedom in jamaica by lennon claude henry. The maroons of jamaica the good, the bad, and the forgotten. The first british governor, robert hunter, was frustrated by jamaicas mountainous terrain, which the maroon leaders used to their advantage. 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.
To a muslim, the whole world is a house of worship. Healing herbs of jamaica download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. In contemporary jamaica, many innercity neighborhoods are controlled by criminal leaders known as dons. In the mountains, they developed their own way of life by incorporating the various cultures with those of the other runaway slaves who made up the diverse maroons.
In her introduction, diouf argues that scholars have frequently denied or downplayed the existence of u. The first british governor, robert hunter, was frustrated by jamaica s mountainous terrain, which the maroon leaders used to their advantage. It draws on the authors multidisciplinary research and engagement with the windward maroons of jamaica, which include, inter alia, the production of a. 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 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. Tv had the pleasure of holding a reasoning in accomopong with a brethren who is very knowledgeable in the history of. 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. Jamaica is known for many things like its beaches, wildlife, and reggae music. 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. During the 17th and 18th centuries, some of the africans brought to jamaica as slaves escaped to the mountains. In fact, among the maroonsand among the people brought to jamaica as slaves in generalakan cultural influences predominated. This took place after they contributed to the near extinction of the native taino arawaks from overwork and european diseases. The maroons of jamaica black resistance against slavery.
A history of resistance, collaboration and betrayal campbell, mavis c. Maroons the life and family of the quaker william penn. 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. Jamaican maroons, such as edward longs three volume the history of jamaica 1774 and robert.
Ebook healing herbs of jamaica as pdf download portable. A history of resistance, collaboration and betrayal. 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. Last tuesday evening, only a few days after he celebrated his 100th birthday, former colonel of the moore town maroons in portland, charles l. A black canadian history guide launched on april 18, and is a gripping read for anyone interested in history, canada, and. 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 authentic and original history if the maroons in the history of jamaica, 14901880. African slaves imported during the spanish period may have provided the first runaways.