How did the Maroons get to Jamaica?

How did the Maroons get to Jamaica?

The Maroons were escaped slaves. They ran away from their Spanish-owned plantations when the British took the Caribbean island of Jamaica from Spain in 1655. Some of the rebel slaves disappeared into the mountains and joined the Maroon communities.

How did the Maroons escape?

The Leeward and Windward Treaties of 1739 ended the Maroon-British wars. British slavery in the Carribean, however, lasted for another century and the Maroons were obligated to return runaway slaves to the British, thus making them reluctant participants in the very system they had fought so long to escape.

Which river did the Maroons get their water from?

The government in response sent out soldiers to the hills to try to overcome them. The soldiers gained some level of success as the Maroons, who were led by Cudjoe; were gradually driven out from the Cave River Valley, first to the area around Ulster Spring and then into the Cockpit Country.

Do the Maroons still exist?

Today, the four official Maroon towns still in existence in Jamaica are Accompong Town, Moore Town, Charles Town and Scott’s Hall. They hold lands allotted to them in the 1739–1740 treaties with the British. Native Jamaicans and island tourists are allowed to attend many of these events.

How were the Maroons marginalized?

While the Maroons’ large acreages of land were ideal to fight guerilla or bush warfare, when hostilities ceased and the economic race for sugar production and sale began, the Maroons discovered they could not compete; therefore, they became permanently and acutely marginalised.

Is Maroon a bad word?

Wallace explained to the Jamaica Observer North and East, during a tour of the John Crow mountain-located maroon settlement of Moore Town last Wednesday, that the word maroon is a “derogatory” term that was coined by the government of the day.

How did the mountains protect the Maroons from the British?

The rugged topography, lush forests and numerous water sources were used by the Windward Maroons to wage their successful guerrilla warfare against the British. The signing of the Peace Treaty in 1739 secured the sovereignty of the Maroons and brought the war to an end.

Is maroon a bad word?

How did the Maroons communicate?

Many of the slaves brought over came from different parts of Africa, and therefore, were unable to communicate by verbal means with other slaves. Instead, they often used body language to communicate; in particular hand gestures and various physical actions.

What did the British do to the Maroons?

The Leeward and Windward Treaties of 1739 ended the Maroon-British wars. British slavery in the Carribean, however, lasted for another century and the Maroons were obligated to return runaway slaves to the British, thus making them reluctant participants in the very system they had fought so long to escape.

Where did the Maroons of Jamaica come from?

The ancestors of the Maroons of Jamaica were enslaved Africans who had been brought there by the Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries, and later by the British (who captured Jamaica from Spain in 1655), to work its lucrative sugar plantations.

Who was the first leader of the Maroons?

Maroon History. From 1729 to 1739, a state of open warfare existed between the British and the Maroons. The first British governor, Robert Hunter, was frustrated by Jamaica’s mountainous terrain, which the Maroon leaders used to their advantage. The Windward Maroons were lead by Captain Quao, while the Leeward Maroons followed Cudjoe,…

What kind of Horn did the Maroons use?

THE ABENG. The abeng is the horn of a cow which is blown by the Maroons to produce a variety of sounds.