Who discovered Jamaica in 1494?
Christopher Columbus
Why did the Chinese come to Jamaica in 1854?
The two earliest ships of Chinese migrant workers to Jamaica arrived in 1854, the first directly from China, the second composed of onward migrants from Panama who were contracted for plantation work. The influx of Chinese indentured immigrants aimed to replace the outlawed system of black slavery.
Why did the Maroons choose to live in the mountains?
The Windward maroons would settle in the Blue and John Crow Mountains while the Leeward maroons made the Cockpit country their stronghold. The rugged topography, lush forests and numerous water sources were used by the Windward Maroons to wage their successful guerrilla warfare against the British.
Who were Maroons in the new world history?
Maroons—Africans who escaped slavery and established independent communities in Jamaica during the 17th and 18th centuries—have been largely misunderstood by historians, says Lucayo Casillas ’19.
Where did the word maroon come from?
The word maroon, first recorded in English in 1666, is by varying accounts taken from the French word marron, which translates to “runaway black slave,” or the American/Spanish cimarrón, which means “wild runaway slave,” “the beast who cannot be tamed,” or “living on mountaintops.” The Spanish originally used the word …
Why were runaway slaves called Maroons?
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. The word maroon comes from the Spanish word ‘cimarrones’, which meant ‘mountaineers’.
What do native Jamaicans look like?
The original inhabitants of Jamaica are believed to be the Arawaks, also called Tainos. The Arawaks were a mild and simple people by nature. Physically, they were light brown in colour, short and well-shaped with coarse, black hair. Their faces were broad and their noses flat.
Who won the first Maroon War?
| First Maroon War | |
|---|---|
| Date Location Colony of Jamaica Result Maroon Victory, British government offered peace treaties | |
| Belligerents | |
| Great Britain Colony of Jamaica | Maroons |
How did Nanny fight for freedom?
According to Maroon oral history, Nanny’s success in defending her people against overwhelming British forces was often attributed to her mysterious supernatural powers. According to legend, Nanny had magical powers, and could catch bullets and then redirect them back at the people who shot at her.
What caused the Second Maroon War?
The spark of the war was when two Maroons, one named Peter Campbell, were found guilty of stealing two pigs by a court in Montego Bay. When six Maroon leaders, led by Montague James and including Major Jarrett, came to the British to present their grievances, the British took them as prisoners.
What did the Maroons wear?
Traditionally the Maroons made their own clothing, using cotton as the raw material, which they either grew themselves or stole from plantation cotton fields. They most likely spun threads in the same way as the Amerindians, using a spindle at foot height, then wove the threads into cloth on a simple loom.
When was slavery last abolished?
1865
How did the Maroons lived during slavery?
Enslaved Africans who fled to remote mountainous areas were called marron (French) or mawon (Haitian Creole), meaning ‘escaped slave’. The maroons formed close-knit communities that practised small-scale agriculture and hunting. They were known to return to plantations to free family members and friends.