African Communities in the New World
by On the Maroons.
‘Maroon’ is a Spanish Term, (taken from cimarron) to describe Africans who escaped slavery and created their own societies in the New World.
In almost every place in the “New World” are enclaves of the descendents of free Africans. The United States of America is one of the few places that does not have a large and independent Maroon community.
As early as 1512 Africans had escaped their Spanish owners in all the territories they occupied. In Brasil, the Portuguese lost many slaves to the forests. Getting Africans alive across the Atlantic Ocean did not mean that they would be slaves.
Although there were Maroon communities on the smaller islands of the Caribbean, many disappeared as the colonists moved further inland.
Jamaica is one of the best examples of how Africans escaped bondage, and maintained their freedom. There are rugged mountains running through the center of Jamaica. A group, reaching a plateau, could create impregnable villages where they could grow their own food and capture the indigenous animals for meat.
As the Spanish had committed genocide before the transportation of Africans to Jamaica there were no indigenous people. Hence, the Jamaican Maroons remained of unmixed African heritage.
In areas where genocide was not practiced,(as in Puerto Rico) Maroons would often intermarry, into the Ameri-Indian communities.
True Maroon communities maintain the culture and language of Africa. Many Akan words, for example, are in Jamaican dialect.
In Suriname, there are diverse tribes of Maroons, i.e. Saramaka, Paramakans, the Ndyuka, Kwiniti and the Matawai. The Saramaka for example, speak a language made up of words drawn from Portuguese, English, Dutch and Sub-Saharan languages, primarily Kongo, Akari and Gbe.
That most African Americans are unaware of the Maroon communities is the result not merely of the suppression of history by the “White” world not the brainwashing of the Black population, but the almost refusal to believe facts that go “against” accepted history.
That many of you are reading this essay as if a flight of fancy, a simple Google of “Maroons” will open a world of information you never imagined.
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Post CommentANDY-N
On October 1, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Nice article.
I have some friends from Jamaica who have told me of some of the historical aspects that they knew of growing up on the island.
a fool
On October 2, 2008 at 6:29 am
History is very real in Jamaica, because the communities
still exist, the treaties forced on the British remain, and
if you fly over the ‘Cockpit’ country you’ll see how people
could not simply hide but great a full and hidden community.
anonymous
On February 25, 2009 at 7:45 am
In all honesty, the refusal to believe the facts that go against accepted history is a clear byproduct or symptom, however you want to look at it, of brainwashing. I DO agree that part of the responsibility for alot of African Americans not knowing this lies with them for not researching this. The story of the communities throughout America is amazing on so many levels.I admire the way many organize their society and some of the customs that I know of. I am going to learn more than I already know. Anyway, This is a very interesting article and I am glad that you wrote it.It needed to be written.
a fool
On February 25, 2009 at 9:08 am
History belongs to the victors. Whomever is in power rewrites the past, and
what does not ‘match’ to the present is discarded.
L.E.Monist
On August 12, 2009 at 5:44 pm
It is in the white european interest to portray themselves as superior and currently, the the black american’s view of themselves as victims to portray themselves as inferior.
R J Evans
On October 28, 2009 at 7:56 pm
We can all be victors now.
History shows us how.
A. Fool
On October 28, 2009 at 8:46 pm
I agree with you R.J. But the point is; rather sadly, that the mind set of ‘victim’ is difficult to unseat.
A. Fool
On April 14, 2010 at 9:25 pm
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