The Cimaroons, named after the Spanish word cimarones meaning “wild cattle”, were runaway slaves who became freedom fighters. The name was later shortened to Maroons. These bands of African warriors roamed the Caribbean keeping to the mountainous interior portions of Hispaniola; the limestone hills of Jamaica; and the less populated areas of Cuba. Under constant pursuit by the Spanish, they hid their settlements well and eventually spread as far as Suriname and Brazil.
First Maroons near Santo Domingo
The first recorded Maroons escaped from Nicolas de Ovando’s Hispaniola expedition of 1503, and settled in the outlying areas of Santo Domingo. These settlements grew in the early years of the 16th century as more and more enslaved Africans were brought to the island and subsequently fled into the mountains.
By 1522, the first actual slave revolt, led by Wolof African slaves, occurred in Santo Domingo. This involved 40 slaves on the plantation of Christopher Columbus’ son, Diego Colon. After the revolt, the Wolof Muslims of West Africa were no longer brought to the Caribbean as slaves, but their legacy lived on. By the 1540’s, the Maroons of Hispaniola were an organized fighting force of horse-riding warriors.
Sir Francis Drake and the Maroons of Panama
Mutual hatred of the Spanish led to a tenuous alliance between the Maroons and privateers from England and France. Even the infamous Sir Francis Drake solicited the help of the Maroons in Panama. It was a convenient alliance as the Maroons had no interest in gold or silver and provided great assistance to Drake and his men as guides and skilled labor. One of Drake’s men described them as “…no less valiant than industrious, and of good judgment.”
Maroons of Jamaica and other British Islands
Initially, enslaved Africans fled to St. Kitts, Barbados and Antigua, but these Maroon settlements were short-lived. The islands were small and the Maroons had nowhere to hide when land was cleared for plantations. In Jamaica, however, the Maroons were able to set up permanent settlements where they prospered. These included Accompong, Trelawny Town, Moore Town, Scotts Hall, and Nanny Town. After the First Maroon War ended, these towns were self-governed under British supervision.
Maroon Slave Catchers in Jamaica
The survival of permanent Maroon settlements on Jamaica did not come without a price. Part of the treaty for Jamaican Maroons in retaining their own freedom was to assist in the capture of other runaway slaves. In return, the Jamaican government paid two British pounds for each returned slave. Tacky’s Rebellion, one of the most famous slave revolts in Caribbean history, came to an end when its leader, Tacky, was shot by a sharp-shooting Jamaican Maroon named Davy in 1760. Even so, tension continued between the Maroons and the white colonial planters and government. The Second Maroon War of 1795-6 ended with the exile of 590 rebellious Maroons Nova Scotia.
With continued urbanization in the Caribbean, Maroon populations decreased over time. Their widespread locations and the historical need to remain isolated led to a variety of cultural characteristics among them. Today, there are large Maroon populations found in Suriname and Guyana.
References:
- Doak, Robin Santos. Slave Rebellions. 2006. P. 18.
- Jamaica Info Guide. “Seven Years More”. (Accessed November 16, 2010)
- Lane, Kris E. Pillaging the Empire Piracy in the Americas 1500-1750. New York. 1998.
- Rodriguez, Junious P. Encyclopedia of Slave Resistance and Rebellion. USA, 2007.
- Rogozinski, Jan. A Brief History of the Caribbean. New York, 1999.
- Wood, Peter & Time Life Books. The Spanish Main. New Jersey, 1979.
Jennifer Groepl - Living the good life in beautiful Cape Coral, Florida, Jennifer Groepl is currently working on her YA fiction projects. An intrinsically ...
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