Maroons – Part Four

<a href="https://jamaica-history.weebly.com/maroons-in-jamaica.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source</a>

Jamaica is one of the best examples of how Africans escaped bondage and maintained their freedom.When the slave ships landed on the coast, and the slaves were transported to the various plantations, they quickly escaped to the Mountains.

The centre of Jamaica is mountainous, and considering that the indigenous people had been murdered by the Spanish, the escaped Africans could immediately set up their own villages.  Unlike in other places where there were indigenous people, Jamaica was uninhabited, and so the Maroons could set up their own villages without conflict.

As there are many plateaus, the mountainous areas are easily defensible, almost impregnable. Villages were safely set up where the Africans could grow food and capture indigenous animals for meat.

Unlike Brazil and Suriname were the forests were virtually impenetrable, Jamaica gave the appearance of being accessible.   This was not true.

The Europeans who sought to track the escaped slaves were easily defeated.   The British, which had captured the island from the Spanish would often pursue the Africans to their detriment.

<a href="http://jis.gov.jm/scotts-hall-maroons-looking-to-develop-area-as-major-attraction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source</a>

The Maroons fought a number of wars against the British and won, so that they were left alone.   The Maroons and their villages exist to this day in Jamaica.These villages are made up of Africans who never spent much time, if any as slaves and have preserved their language and culture.