Nanny of the Maroons
Granny Nanny, Queen Nanny. Exhibiting the courageous fighting spirit found in military leaders, Nanny of the Maroons established herself in history as Jamaica’s only female national hero. She became known for all time as a symbol of Jamaica’s strength and dogged resolution to maintain independence. She was known also as Granny Nanny by modern Maroons, and the Right Excellent Nanny of the Maroons and was described as a small, wiry woman with piercing eyes. She was also mentioned as wearing a necklace made from the teeth of British soldiers.
African slaves were brought to Jamaica by the Spanish in 1517. The Spanish and their slaves fled into the forested mountains when the British attacked the island. They fought against the British until 1655 when Spain ceded the island to Britain and left. The slaves however, remained in the mountains and continued to fight the British. These people interbred with the indigenous people of Jamaica and became known as the ‘Maroons’.
The British continued to bring in slaves from the Gold Coast of Africa. The Maroons would raid the plantations and they would encourage the new slaves to run away. The woman who was known as Nanny was one of the Ashanti Tribe slaves who would take their advice. The Ashanti women were well respected in their culture and knew the art of war.
When Nanny arrived in Jamaica, there was already a movement among the slaves for freedom. Several rebel towns comprised of escaped slaves were already formed on the island. Maroon rebel towns were reputed to be the best defended of these towns. Soon after her arrival, Nanny was able to escape with her brothers Cudjoe, Accompong, Johnny, Cuffy and Quao.
In the early 18th century Nanny had established herself as a leader of the Maroons. Her brothers were also instrumental in the freedom of Jamaica. Cudjoe was sent to St. James and built a free village called Cudjoe Town. Accompong was sent to St. Elizabeth where a town was also named after him. Nanny and her brother Ouao traveled to Portland where they became leaders of the freed and escaped Africans there. Thus, with the dispersion of Nanny and her brothers, there came to be two sects of Maroons. The Leeward Maroons on the West side and the Windward Maroons on the East side.
In 1720, Nanny controlled Blue Mountain Rebel Town and renamed it Nanny Town. Being Ashanti, Nanny and Ouao modeled the town after an Ashanti Village. They cleared over 600 acres of the forest for cultivation purposes. The food from these farms was traded in the towns for weapons and other supplies. Nanny Town itself was Located on a 900 foot ridge overlooking the Stony River. Nanny placed guards along the single route to Nanny Town and also incorporated Ashanti type communications amongst the Maroons, using drums and horns. The British were unable to decipher these messages which gave the Maroons advantage over the British, eliminating the ability for them to attack without warning.
The Maroon warriors learned how to camouflage themselves to blend in with the lush vegetation of the forests. Nanny is said to have taught them how to stand still and look like the trees of the forest. Then, other Maroons would lure British forces into following them into ambushes. As people who were used to living off the land, the Maroons were able to withstand the elements more than the British soldiers were. The British suffered from their inability to adapt to the rain forest, and many died from tropical illnesses.
Nanny organized raids on British plantations, stealing food, arms, and whatever else they could get. Plantation slaves were freed during these raids and most of them joined the Maroons and helped their numbers grow. She also placed spies in the plantations that would then get word to the Maroons with important military information, helping Nanny keep her edge over the British.
Nanny’s reputation as a holder of supernatural powers and the Maroons fierce fighting abilities gave them the advantage of psychological warfare against the British. She also held a psychological power over her Maroons with oaths of secrecy and bolstering their confidence in themselves and her leadership ability. She also kept the pride and sense of unity among the Maroons alive and well by fostering their customs, tales and musical traditions.
In 1734 Nanny Town was finally captured by the British after bombardment with cannon. Though the British claimed to have killed all of the Maroons in Nanny Town, Nanny and some others escaped and set up a new hide out in the Rio Grande area.
After the capture of Nanny Town, the Maroons became despondent. Their city and crops they had cultivated were destroyed, leaving them with nothing. Nanny evidently prayed to Nyankopon, the creator god of her faith, for several days and nights, and eventually got a vision telling her to never give up the fight for freedom. The vision also instructed her to plant the seeds she had in her pocket. Those seeds were pumpkin seeds, and she dutifully planted them. Soon, the whole hillside was covered with pumpkins and is today known as Pumpkin Hill, located outside of Port Antonio.
Later in 1734, Nanny led her people to the west side of the island to join with the Leeward Maroons. This long march of more than 300 people was known as the “Great Trek”. Their way along this arduous journey was hampered by skirmishes with British forces. Once arrived at St. James, Nanny’s brother Cudjoe refused to unite with Nanny’s Windward Maroons. It seems that Cudjoe had taken a different tact and was seeking peace with the British and didn’t wish to unite with Nanny to make war. Nanny and her Maroons would not agree to this and they began the long, hard trip back to Portland.
In 1737 Nanny took an oath on Pumpkin Hill that she would never let up the fight against the British. In 1739, Cudjoe signed a treaty with the British for peace in return for his allegiance in abating revolts against the British rule, submit to British supervision and to help return run-away slaves. Nanny, though she saw that her people were tired of war and wanted peace, would not agree to these terms. Instead, she entered a truce with the British, to bring some respite to her Windward Maroons.
Her hold over the Maroons was so strong that it was said that she had used magical powers of Obeah, a type of folk magic similar to Voodoo, having both white and black magic associations. One tale is that Nanny kept a large cauldron at the base of the trail leading to Nanny Town. This pot was always boiling, but there was never a fire. As the British would pass by, they were amazed and looked into the large cauldron to examine it. They would breathe in the fumes and become sleepy, falling into the large pot where they would then die from a lack of fresh air.
Another legend often told about Nanny was that immediately after signing the truce with the British, she asked them to shoot her. The puzzled British at first declined. Nanny then demanded that they fire at her, and eventually the British obliged. As the guns were fired, Nanny evidently spun around, and bent down. Then, straightening up and turning again to the British, she walked to the British officer and returned the bullets to him. She said to him: “There is peace’ and then pointed to the sky and said “Only one can kill me”.
After the truce, Nanny and Ouao split, he going to Crawford Town and her moving to a 500 acre plot at a place called Cottawood. Today, Moore Town is now the primary town of the Windward Maroon people.
Though Nanny did not win the freedom that she had so fiercely and bravely fought for, she was an inspiration and role model for those that followed in her footsteps, and she is today a symbol of the valiant effort to pursue independence. It was not until 1962 that Jamaica eventually found freedom that Nanny had helped to bring about. At midnight on the 5th of August, 1962 the British flag was lowered and the Jamaican flag was raised for the very first time.
Nanny died in around 1758 and is buried in Maroon town at a place known as Bump Grave.
In 1976 she was honored as a national hero of Jamaica, the only woman to hold this honor.
African slaves were brought to Jamaica by the Spanish in 1517. The Spanish and their slaves fled into the forested mountains when the British attacked the island. They fought against the British until 1655 when Spain ceded the island to Britain and left. The slaves however, remained in the mountains and continued to fight the British. These people interbred with the indigenous people of Jamaica and became known as the ‘Maroons’.
The British continued to bring in slaves from the Gold Coast of Africa. The Maroons would raid the plantations and they would encourage the new slaves to run away. The woman who was known as Nanny was one of the Ashanti Tribe slaves who would take their advice. The Ashanti women were well respected in their culture and knew the art of war.
When Nanny arrived in Jamaica, there was already a movement among the slaves for freedom. Several rebel towns comprised of escaped slaves were already formed on the island. Maroon rebel towns were reputed to be the best defended of these towns. Soon after her arrival, Nanny was able to escape with her brothers Cudjoe, Accompong, Johnny, Cuffy and Quao.
In the early 18th century Nanny had established herself as a leader of the Maroons. Her brothers were also instrumental in the freedom of Jamaica. Cudjoe was sent to St. James and built a free village called Cudjoe Town. Accompong was sent to St. Elizabeth where a town was also named after him. Nanny and her brother Ouao traveled to Portland where they became leaders of the freed and escaped Africans there. Thus, with the dispersion of Nanny and her brothers, there came to be two sects of Maroons. The Leeward Maroons on the West side and the Windward Maroons on the East side.
In 1720, Nanny controlled Blue Mountain Rebel Town and renamed it Nanny Town. Being Ashanti, Nanny and Ouao modeled the town after an Ashanti Village. They cleared over 600 acres of the forest for cultivation purposes. The food from these farms was traded in the towns for weapons and other supplies. Nanny Town itself was Located on a 900 foot ridge overlooking the Stony River. Nanny placed guards along the single route to Nanny Town and also incorporated Ashanti type communications amongst the Maroons, using drums and horns. The British were unable to decipher these messages which gave the Maroons advantage over the British, eliminating the ability for them to attack without warning.
The Maroon warriors learned how to camouflage themselves to blend in with the lush vegetation of the forests. Nanny is said to have taught them how to stand still and look like the trees of the forest. Then, other Maroons would lure British forces into following them into ambushes. As people who were used to living off the land, the Maroons were able to withstand the elements more than the British soldiers were. The British suffered from their inability to adapt to the rain forest, and many died from tropical illnesses.
Nanny organized raids on British plantations, stealing food, arms, and whatever else they could get. Plantation slaves were freed during these raids and most of them joined the Maroons and helped their numbers grow. She also placed spies in the plantations that would then get word to the Maroons with important military information, helping Nanny keep her edge over the British.
Nanny’s reputation as a holder of supernatural powers and the Maroons fierce fighting abilities gave them the advantage of psychological warfare against the British. She also held a psychological power over her Maroons with oaths of secrecy and bolstering their confidence in themselves and her leadership ability. She also kept the pride and sense of unity among the Maroons alive and well by fostering their customs, tales and musical traditions.
In 1734 Nanny Town was finally captured by the British after bombardment with cannon. Though the British claimed to have killed all of the Maroons in Nanny Town, Nanny and some others escaped and set up a new hide out in the Rio Grande area.
After the capture of Nanny Town, the Maroons became despondent. Their city and crops they had cultivated were destroyed, leaving them with nothing. Nanny evidently prayed to Nyankopon, the creator god of her faith, for several days and nights, and eventually got a vision telling her to never give up the fight for freedom. The vision also instructed her to plant the seeds she had in her pocket. Those seeds were pumpkin seeds, and she dutifully planted them. Soon, the whole hillside was covered with pumpkins and is today known as Pumpkin Hill, located outside of Port Antonio.
Later in 1734, Nanny led her people to the west side of the island to join with the Leeward Maroons. This long march of more than 300 people was known as the “Great Trek”. Their way along this arduous journey was hampered by skirmishes with British forces. Once arrived at St. James, Nanny’s brother Cudjoe refused to unite with Nanny’s Windward Maroons. It seems that Cudjoe had taken a different tact and was seeking peace with the British and didn’t wish to unite with Nanny to make war. Nanny and her Maroons would not agree to this and they began the long, hard trip back to Portland.
In 1737 Nanny took an oath on Pumpkin Hill that she would never let up the fight against the British. In 1739, Cudjoe signed a treaty with the British for peace in return for his allegiance in abating revolts against the British rule, submit to British supervision and to help return run-away slaves. Nanny, though she saw that her people were tired of war and wanted peace, would not agree to these terms. Instead, she entered a truce with the British, to bring some respite to her Windward Maroons.
Her hold over the Maroons was so strong that it was said that she had used magical powers of Obeah, a type of folk magic similar to Voodoo, having both white and black magic associations. One tale is that Nanny kept a large cauldron at the base of the trail leading to Nanny Town. This pot was always boiling, but there was never a fire. As the British would pass by, they were amazed and looked into the large cauldron to examine it. They would breathe in the fumes and become sleepy, falling into the large pot where they would then die from a lack of fresh air.
Another legend often told about Nanny was that immediately after signing the truce with the British, she asked them to shoot her. The puzzled British at first declined. Nanny then demanded that they fire at her, and eventually the British obliged. As the guns were fired, Nanny evidently spun around, and bent down. Then, straightening up and turning again to the British, she walked to the British officer and returned the bullets to him. She said to him: “There is peace’ and then pointed to the sky and said “Only one can kill me”.
After the truce, Nanny and Ouao split, he going to Crawford Town and her moving to a 500 acre plot at a place called Cottawood. Today, Moore Town is now the primary town of the Windward Maroon people.
Though Nanny did not win the freedom that she had so fiercely and bravely fought for, she was an inspiration and role model for those that followed in her footsteps, and she is today a symbol of the valiant effort to pursue independence. It was not until 1962 that Jamaica eventually found freedom that Nanny had helped to bring about. At midnight on the 5th of August, 1962 the British flag was lowered and the Jamaican flag was raised for the very first time.
Nanny died in around 1758 and is buried in Maroon town at a place known as Bump Grave.
In 1976 she was honored as a national hero of Jamaica, the only woman to hold this honor.
Maroons
Maroon horn the Abeng
During the 18th century, the powerful Maroons, escaped ex-slaves who settled in the mountains of Jamaica, carved out a significant area of influence. Through the use of slave labor, the production of sugar in this British colony flourished. But the courageous resistance of the Maroons threatened this prosperous industry. These efforts included plantation raids, the killing of white militiamen, and the freeing of slaves. The threat to the system was clear and present; hence, the planters were willing to sign a treaty with the Maroons in 1738. The treaty offers good insight to the relationship between the planters and the Maroons at the time, and deserves further attention.
The Abeng, much like the talking drums to the native Indians, was used quite effectively by the Maroons during their many battles with their adversaries.
Although the initial slave traders were the Portuguese and the Dutch, between 1750 and 1807 (the year in which the British Empire abolished the slave trade), Britain "dominated the buying and selling of slaves to the Americas". Shipbuilding flourished and manufacturing expanded. The "process of industrialization in England from the second quarter of the eighteenth century as to an important extent a response to colonial demands for rails, axes, buckets, coaches, clocks, saddles...and a thousand other things".
Cudjoe
Cudjoe, or Captain Cudjoe (c. 1680 – 1744), sometimes spelled Cudjo - corresponding to the Akan day name Kojo or Kwadwo - was a Maroon leader in Jamaica, and the brother of Nanny of the Maroons. He has been described as "the greatest of the Maroon leaders."
The Jamaican Maroons are descended from runaway slaves who established free communities in the mountains of Jamaica during the long era of slavery in the island. African slaves imported during the Spanish period may have provided the first runaways, apparently mixing with the Native American Taino or Arawak[citation needed] people that remained in the country. Some may have gained liberty when the English attacked Jamaica and took it in 1655, and subsequently. For about 52 years, until the 1737 peace treaty with the British rulers of the island - which is still in force - the Maroons stubbornly resisted conquest.
The Jamaican Maroons are descended from runaway slaves who established free communities in the mountains of Jamaica during the long era of slavery in the island. African slaves imported during the Spanish period may have provided the first runaways, apparently mixing with the Native American Taino or Arawak[citation needed] people that remained in the country. Some may have gained liberty when the English attacked Jamaica and took it in 1655, and subsequently. For about 52 years, until the 1737 peace treaty with the British rulers of the island - which is still in force - the Maroons stubbornly resisted conquest.
Cudjoe is believed (according to Maroon oral tradition) to have been the son of Naquan, a chief of the Akan people or Coromantee people from what is modern-day Ghana. Naquan was taken captive and sold into slavery in Spanish Jamaica in the 1640s but he initiated a revolt and led his tribesmen into the mountainous interior of the island, establishing the first community of Maroons, as the runaway slaves were called, after the Spanish word cimarron, meaning "wild".
The two main Maroon groups in the 18th century were the Leeward and the Windward tribes, the former led by Cudjoe in Trelawny Town and the latter led by his sister Queen Nanny (and later by Quao). Captain Cudjoe had endless energy and was greatly motivated to stay a free man. He was strong, courageous and relentless. Cudjoe was also a very skilful, tactical field commander and a remarkable leader.
The two main Maroon groups in the 18th century were the Leeward and the Windward tribes, the former led by Cudjoe in Trelawny Town and the latter led by his sister Queen Nanny (and later by Quao). Captain Cudjoe had endless energy and was greatly motivated to stay a free man. He was strong, courageous and relentless. Cudjoe was also a very skilful, tactical field commander and a remarkable leader.
When the British attempted to recapture runaways, Cudjoe defeated them on every occasion. Not only did Cudjoe successfully defend his communities, but also, similar to what Harriet Tubman would do in the nineteenth century, he freed many captives by raiding Britain’s plantations. Sometimes his raids were non-confrontational, but most times they were vicious, bloody encounters.
Before he attacked a plantation, Cudjoe would send spies among the captives to gather information from them at the markets and on the plantations. Once his spies collected sufficient evidence of the slave-owners’ plans, they sent them to Cudjoe. Then he determined the time and place of his attacks. During his strikes, Cudjoe and his men burned down mansions, destroyed cane fields and killed many whites along with faithful slaves who refused to help him.
Cudjoe’s attacks were so devastating that many of the early English settlers abandoned their plantations and returned to England. He often killed faithful slaves during these attacks because he despised them. According to one of England’s commanders on the island, General Williamson, it was commonly said, "the British rules Jamaica by day and Captain Cudjoe by night.
In an attempt to capture Cudjoe and the Maroons, British leaders built forts near Maroon communities. They imported Native American tracking specialists from Central America to hunt down the Maroons. In addition, they formed an army of more than 1,000 soldiers to fight Cudjoe’s weapon-deficient military.
However, even with the tracking specialists and formidable army, Cudjoe outmaneuvered the British commander when one of Cudjoe’s spies told the commander that Cudjoe established settlements in a particular valley. As the British soldiers marched into the valley, Cudjoe’s four-sectioned forces watched them from behind the natural boundaries. When Cudjoe’s men attacked the soldiers from all sides, the crossfire surprised and debilitated them. The British soldiers fled the area and left behind guns and supplies.
For the next decade, Cudjoe caused considerable damage to the slave structure of Jamaica. When he raided, he often burned sugar cane fields, houses and barns, and he continued to kill slaves who were loyal to their masters. This latter measure put a great deal of pressure on every African captive to abide by Cudjoe’s advances. Therefore, Cudjoe’s peer-pressure tactic led the British to distrust just about every captive on the island.
To finally stop Cudjoe, the British government planned an elaborate expedition against the Maroons. The British recruited every fighting-eligible man on the island to move against Cudjoe. However, after considering the fact that if all the men went to fight against the Maroons, there would be no one left to protect the women and children, the British had a serious dilemma and they did not know what to do.
Faced with a very disturbing problem, Governor Sir Edward Trelawney weighed the possibilities. Eventually, he decided not to attack Cudjoe. He, instead, opted to make a treaty of peace with the Maroons. To carry out Governor Trelawney’s orders, a rather large army escorted Colonel Guthrie to meet with Cudjoe in Maroon territory. Once he convinced Cudjoe and his men that he would neither attack nor trick them, Cudjoe met with the colonel.
After talking for an hour or so, both men worked out a satisfactory treaty. They agreed that the British must recognize the Maroons as an independent nation; that the Maroons receive a very large tract of land and would not have to pay any taxes on it. However, Chief Cudjoe, in return for this recognition of autonomy, promised to return runaway slaves and help put down future slave rebellions. Maroon societies still exist in Jamaica today.
Cudjoe died at Nanny town in the Blue Mountains five years after peace was concluded. He was succeeded by his brother, Accompong.
Before he attacked a plantation, Cudjoe would send spies among the captives to gather information from them at the markets and on the plantations. Once his spies collected sufficient evidence of the slave-owners’ plans, they sent them to Cudjoe. Then he determined the time and place of his attacks. During his strikes, Cudjoe and his men burned down mansions, destroyed cane fields and killed many whites along with faithful slaves who refused to help him.
Cudjoe’s attacks were so devastating that many of the early English settlers abandoned their plantations and returned to England. He often killed faithful slaves during these attacks because he despised them. According to one of England’s commanders on the island, General Williamson, it was commonly said, "the British rules Jamaica by day and Captain Cudjoe by night.
In an attempt to capture Cudjoe and the Maroons, British leaders built forts near Maroon communities. They imported Native American tracking specialists from Central America to hunt down the Maroons. In addition, they formed an army of more than 1,000 soldiers to fight Cudjoe’s weapon-deficient military.
However, even with the tracking specialists and formidable army, Cudjoe outmaneuvered the British commander when one of Cudjoe’s spies told the commander that Cudjoe established settlements in a particular valley. As the British soldiers marched into the valley, Cudjoe’s four-sectioned forces watched them from behind the natural boundaries. When Cudjoe’s men attacked the soldiers from all sides, the crossfire surprised and debilitated them. The British soldiers fled the area and left behind guns and supplies.
For the next decade, Cudjoe caused considerable damage to the slave structure of Jamaica. When he raided, he often burned sugar cane fields, houses and barns, and he continued to kill slaves who were loyal to their masters. This latter measure put a great deal of pressure on every African captive to abide by Cudjoe’s advances. Therefore, Cudjoe’s peer-pressure tactic led the British to distrust just about every captive on the island.
To finally stop Cudjoe, the British government planned an elaborate expedition against the Maroons. The British recruited every fighting-eligible man on the island to move against Cudjoe. However, after considering the fact that if all the men went to fight against the Maroons, there would be no one left to protect the women and children, the British had a serious dilemma and they did not know what to do.
Faced with a very disturbing problem, Governor Sir Edward Trelawney weighed the possibilities. Eventually, he decided not to attack Cudjoe. He, instead, opted to make a treaty of peace with the Maroons. To carry out Governor Trelawney’s orders, a rather large army escorted Colonel Guthrie to meet with Cudjoe in Maroon territory. Once he convinced Cudjoe and his men that he would neither attack nor trick them, Cudjoe met with the colonel.
After talking for an hour or so, both men worked out a satisfactory treaty. They agreed that the British must recognize the Maroons as an independent nation; that the Maroons receive a very large tract of land and would not have to pay any taxes on it. However, Chief Cudjoe, in return for this recognition of autonomy, promised to return runaway slaves and help put down future slave rebellions. Maroon societies still exist in Jamaica today.
Cudjoe died at Nanny town in the Blue Mountains five years after peace was concluded. He was succeeded by his brother, Accompong.
Accompong
Accompong (Acheampong) is a historical maroon village, located in the hills of St. Elizabeth Parish in Jamaica, consolidated by a treaty in 1739. It is located in one of the two areas where runaway slaves settled, originally with the Taínos, isolated enough to be safe first from the Spanish and then later from the British. The town of Accompong was named after the Maroon leader Accompong, who was the brother of a number of other Maroon leaders: Quao, Cuffy, Cudjoe, and Nanny, from an Ashanti family.
The inhabitants of Accompong share practices and a culture similar to their African culture originating 200–300 years ago. Every 6 January (Cudjoe's birthday) at Accompong, descendants and friends of the Maroons come together at a festival in celebration of the treaty. In 2007, the festival took on a more political flavor, as attenders protested increased bauxite mining.
The inhabitants of Accompong share practices and a culture similar to their African culture originating 200–300 years ago. Every 6 January (Cudjoe's birthday) at Accompong, descendants and friends of the Maroons come together at a festival in celebration of the treaty. In 2007, the festival took on a more political flavor, as attenders protested increased bauxite mining.
Obeah
The term 'obeah' is first found in documents from the early 18th century, as in its connection to Nanny of the Maroons, but discussion of it becomes more frequent when it was made illegal in Jamaica after Tacky's War, in which an obeahman provided advice to the rebels.
Obeah (sometimes spelled Obi, Obea, or Obia), is a term used in the West Indies to refer to folk magic, sorcery, and religious practices developed among West African slaves, specifically of Igbo origin. Obeah is similar to other Afro-American religions including Palo, Vodou, Santería, and Hoodoo. Obeah is practiced in Suriname, Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Guyana, Barbados, Grenada, Belize, The Bahamas, and other Caribbean nations.
Obeah is associated with both benign and malignant magic, charms, luck, and with mysticism in general. In some Caribbean nations, Obeah refers to folk religions of the African diaspora. In some cases, aspects of these folk religions have survived through syncretism with Christian symbolism and practice introduced by European colonials and slave owners. Casual observation may conclude that Christian symbolism is incorporated into Obeah worship, but in fact may represent clandestine worship and religious protest.
During slavery, Obeah was directed against the European slave masters. However, with the rise of Christianity, Obeah is considered a taboo, and the term has pejorative associations.
Obeah is associated with both benign and malignant magic, charms, luck, and with mysticism in general. In some Caribbean nations, Obeah refers to folk religions of the African diaspora. In some cases, aspects of these folk religions have survived through syncretism with Christian symbolism and practice introduced by European colonials and slave owners. Casual observation may conclude that Christian symbolism is incorporated into Obeah worship, but in fact may represent clandestine worship and religious protest.
During slavery, Obeah was directed against the European slave masters. However, with the rise of Christianity, Obeah is considered a taboo, and the term has pejorative associations.