Perhaps the most wellknown maroon societies are the ones that existed, and in fact still exist, in jamaica. The obscured history of jamaicas maroon societies jstor. But the courageous resistance of the maroons threatened this prosperous industry. The absence of a masjid, which is a formal house of worship for the muslims, as an archaeological. 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 vast majority of american states have ratified international human rights treaties that obligate them to respect the rights of individuals and certain groups. Throughout the eighteenth century, jamaican maroons, or original bands of. During the 17th and 18th centuries, some of the africans brought to jamaica as slaves escaped to the mountains. In the beginning, as humans started to leave africa, included with the second ooa group were the albinos of caucasian.
There they settled, and over time, they became known as maroons. The maroons, escaped slaves in the west indies, were feared by colonists and slave owners for their fearsome fighting ability and magical arts. A segment from our show island stylee takes a look at the maroons of jamaica. The british recognized the maroons as a threat to their possession of jamaica. Jamaica may also be proud of the continued level of mutual respect that both the maroons and the government.
On the island of jamaica, the maroon council is the executive body with administrative powers and obligations for the maroon communities. The utilization of documents written by the british, archaeological excavations of. I first mention the number of hits in the pdf file for 17181795 followed by the one for 18101817. If that struggle and identity are not understood then any judgment of them is not valid. 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. There were many years of peace between the maroons and the british in jamaica. The role of the maroons in the 1865 morant bay freedom war. Media in category maroons of jamaica the following 11 files are in this category, out of 11 total. Jamaica gleaner news maroons fight to preserve tradition. In this paper, i argue that the practice of holding people in bondage in maroon communities, which was strongly influenced by the west. The maroons in ambush on the dromilly estate in the. The maroons are descendants of west africans, mainly people from the ashanti region of what is today ghana.
Maroon heritage which is a true example of resilience and determination. Bourgoin depicting british troops caught in an ambush by a group of. Still, when one attends the annual festivities, one gets a sense that much is. View maroons in jamaica research papers on academia. The jamaican maroons were not a small rebel community, instead they were a.
The rights of maroons in international human rights law. 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. The authentic and original history if the maroons in the history of jamaica, 14901880. A careful and thorough study of the jamaican maroons from the british conquest to the late 18th century. The history of jamaican maroons european colonialism in the caribbean was dependent upon the use of african slaves as a major source of labor. Tired and thirsty with climbing, the weary soldiers toil on, in single file. 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. Jamaican maroons the indomitable maroons of jamaica.
Jamaican maroons descend from maroons, africans who escaped from slavery onto the island. We hear from colonel wallace sterling, leader of the moretown maroons at the celebrations honoring nanny. 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. Rastafari speaks archive 1 according to what we read in the history books, after the long war between the english and those africans, who allow themselves to be called maroons, a peace treaty was. The jamaican maroons are often described as enslaved africans and persons of noticeable. Maroon societies in jamaica can trace their roots back to the 1500s, when the ruling. The isolation used to their advantage by the ancestors. The maroons of jamaica black resistance against slavery. 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. This article considers the role of the maroons in jamaican history. The leaders of the maroons did meet british officers to accept a peace agreement offered to them. Jamaica has a mix of people from different races, religions, and countries so its culture is varied. The maroons in ambush on the dromilly estate in the parish of trelawney, jamaica. This article examines the practices of captivity among the maroons of jamaica during the early colonial period.
The maroons of jamaica excerpted from the book travellers and outlaws, episodes in american history, section black. Choice this richly textured study of the struggles of the maroons of jamaica against the british. Mindful that, today, jamaica still experiences tension between the descendants of the maroons and of paul bogle. What links here related changes upload file special pages permanent link page information.
The maroons of jamaica the good, the bad, and the forgotten. The wider jamaican community would do well to mirror those traits so that we can see them more strongly reflected in jamaican society as a whole. 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. A social, economic and demographic history of maroon society in jamaica, 17391842 pdf phd. Through the use of slave labor, the production of sugar in this british colony flourished. Inevitably, some of these slaves escaped and formed. 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. 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. Maroon council members are appointed by the colonelin. The maroons show a love for community and self, and respect for the environment. After being brought to jamaica in the course of the transatlantic slave trade.
By 1720, the maroons took the offensive, mounting raids against british plantations along the base of the mountains. The fighting maroons of jamaica national library of. In modernday jamaica, maroons may not have the same historical distinction as in preemanciption jamaica. The spanish colonists fled from jamaica after the land was captured in 1655. Choice this richly textured study of the struggles of the maroons of jamaica against the. 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 have their own unique code that they use to communicate with each other, this was done using an instrument known as the abeng an african word meaning conch shell the. The history of jamaican maroons essay 2381 words bartleby. To a muslim, the whole world is a house of worship. 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.
The isolation used to their advantage by the ancestors has today led to their communities being amongst the most inaccessible on the island. Jamaica is known for many things like its beaches, wildlife, and reggae music. Trelawney town, the chief residence of the maroons rmg e9983. Among the wild mountains of jamaica, the maroons dwelt in a savage. A history of resistance, collaboration and betrayal campbell, mavis c. To this day, the maroons in jamaica to some extent remains autonomous and separate from the rest of the jamaican culture. Without a properly reconstructed history of the maroons in jamaica, the history of jamaica remains incomplete. Maroons of jamaica is not only the most important link, but has become and remains in its entirety a part of the historical period long, 1774, vol. During the 18th century, the powerful maroons, escaped exslaves who settled in the mountains of jamaica, carved out a significant area of influence. From 1729 to 1739, a state of open warfare existed between the british and the maroons. Last tuesday evening, only a few days after he celebrated his 100th birthday, former colonel of the moore town maroons in portland, charles l. Tv had the pleasure of holding a reasoning in accomopong with a brethren who is very knowledgeable in the history of jamaicas. African runaways and maroons in the americas alvin o. Senator the honourable mark golding government of jamaica.