Maroons, Music & Slave Rebellions

I. Slave Rebellions & Escapes• A. African Slaves would frequently

rebel and/or escape from slavery• B. Escapes came in the form of:

1. Slave ship mutiny (ex. Amistad)

2. Slave ship wreck (ex. Ecuador)3. Rebellion (ex. Jamaica Maroon Wars, Garifuna of St.

Vincent)

I. Slave Rebellions & Escapes• C. Some fugitive slaves became pirates,

while others started their own communities

• D. Escaped Africans often mixed with Native American groups examples:• 1. Garifuna: African & Carib &Arawak (Native Americans) living in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras & Nicaragua• 2. Jamaica: Akan Ghana & Arawak & Taino

I. Slave Rebellions & Escapes

I. Slave Rebellions & Escapes

• E. The Spanish called fugitive slaves “Maroons”

• F. Derived from the word “Cimarron”, which meant runaway living on a mountain top

• G. The majority of Maroon communities are located in the Americas

II. Black Pirates

II. Black Pirates• A. There were approximately 1,500

Black pirates (Maroons)• B. The most famous was “Black

Cesar”, who escaped from a slave ship wreck & eventually joined Blackbeard

• C. Diego Grillo, first Cuban pirate

II. Black Pirates

III. Jamaican Maroons• A. In 1655, the Spanish left Jamaica

& their African slaves• B. Some Africans escaped to the

“Blue Mountains & joined existing Maroon communities

III. Jamaican Maroons

III. Jamaican Maroons• C. They survived by:

1. Raiding plantations2. Developing recipes such as

“jerk chicken” (seasoning, curing & drying meat)

3. Using the “tissue paper” tree

III. Jamaican Maroons

III. Jamaican Maroons

III. Jamaican Maroons• D. The First Maroon War

• 1. Were the result of the British trying to get control of the Maroons• 2. The 1st Maroon War, two leaders emerged: Cudjoe & Queen Nanny (AKA Granny Nanny) excellent military strategist & experts in guerilla warfare

III. Jamaican Maroons

III. Jamaican Maroons

III. Jamaican Maroons

III. Jamaican Maroons3. In 1739, first Peace Agreement4. Second Maroon War, more tension

between the plantation owners & certain Maroon communities5. 1795 The Peace Agreement is broken,

the Maroons of Trelawney lose.6. Some are sent Nova Scotia, Canada & Sierra Leone, West Africa

III. Jamaican Maroons

Nova Scotia, Canada

III. Jamaican Maroons

Sierra Leone

IV. Garifuna

IV. Garifuna• A. The Garifuna were originally stolen

from West Africa.• B. Their slave ship wrecked off the

coast of St. Vincent in 1635• C. The Garifuna came ashore &

intermarried with the Carib Indians

IV. Garifuna

IV. Garifuna• D. This intermarriage resulted in

“Black Carib” people & culture (food, music, language, dance, religion, agriculture techniques, etc)

Chief Joseph Chatoyer

IV. Garifuna• E. In 1700s, the British came & started

a war against the Garifuna & French

• F. In 1796, the Garifuna surrendered • G. The British exiled 5, 000 to

Baliceaux Island, where they were placed in concentration camps

IV. Garifuna

IV. Garifuna• H. the other half to Roatan Island off

the coast of Honduras• I. The Spanish allowed the Garifuna to

come ashore in Central America, • J. Resulting in large Garifuna

populations in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras & Nicaragua

IV. Garifuna

IV. Garifuna

IV. Garifuna• K. Garifuna are famous for their

music & dance forms: Punta, Paranda, Chumba, Hungu Hungu and Wanaragua

• L. Garifuna food is a combination of Africa, Carib, Mayan & Spanish cuisine

IV. Garifuna

V. Quilombo dos Palmares

V. Quilombo dos Palmares • A. Quilombo dos Palmares were:

1. “small settlements among the palm trees” in northeast Brazil 2. settled by Africans & Native Americans escaping slavery

3. existed from 1605-16944. Modern day Pernambuco and Alagoas regions of Brazil

V. Quilombo dos Palmares

V. Quilombo dos Palmares • B. Palmares’ populations ranged from

10,000-20,000 at its height• C. Also included Arabs & Jews,

mulattoes, caboclos (mestizos), poor whites & runaway soldiers

• D. Ganga Zumba & Zumbi (his nephew) were the legendary chiefs

V. Quilombo dos Palmares

V. Quilombo dos Palmares • E. Used several fighting techniques

such as bows, arrows & capoeira against the Portuguese

• F. 1694, the Portuguese won, took control of the Palmares & killed Zumbi (1695)

V. Quilombo dos Palmares

Bibliography• 1. Black Pirates

http://www.cindyvallar.com/blackpirates.html