Second Maroon War
Encyclopedia
The Second Maroon War of 1795-1796 was an eight month conflict between the Maroons
of Trelawny Parish, Jamaica
and the British. The other Maroon communities did not take part in this rebellion and their treaty with the British remained in force until Jamaica gained its independence in 1962.
. The spark of the war was when two Maroons were flogged by a black slave for stealing two pigs
. When six Maroon leaders came to the British to present their grievances, the British took them as prisoners. Fighting began in mid-August.
s and their handlers imported from Cuba.
. After a few years the Maroons were again deported to the new British settlement of Sierra Leone
in West Africa
.
Among the early historians to mention the Jamaican Maroons and the Second Maroon War were the following:
Maroon (people)
Maroons were runaway slaves in the West Indies, Central America, South America, and North America, who formed independent settlements together...
of Trelawny Parish, Jamaica
Trelawny Parish, Jamaica
Trelawny is a parish in Cornwall County in northwest Jamaica. Its capital is Falmouth. It is bordered by the parishes of Saint Ann in the east, Saint James in the west, and Saint Elizabeth and Manchester in the south.-History:...
and the British. The other Maroon communities did not take part in this rebellion and their treaty with the British remained in force until Jamaica gained its independence in 1962.
The Outbreak of the War
Maroons felt that they were being mistreated under the terms of Cudjoe's Treaty of 1739, which ended the First Maroon WarFirst Maroon War
The First Maroon War was a conflict between the Jamaican Maroons and the British in Jamaica which reached a climax in 1731.-Background:In 1655, the British defeated the Spanish colonists and took control of most of Jamaica...
. The spark of the war was when two Maroons were flogged by a black slave for stealing two pigs
PIGS
PIGS is a four letter acronym that can stand for:* PIGS , Phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis, class S, a human gene* PIGS , the economies of Portugal, Italy , Greece and Spain...
. When six Maroon leaders came to the British to present their grievances, the British took them as prisoners. Fighting began in mid-August.
The War
The war lasted for five months as a bloody stalemate. The British 5,000 troops and militia outnumbered the Maroons ten to one, but the mountainous and forested topography of Jamaica proved ideal for guerrilla warfare. The Maroons surrendered the war in December 1795, intimidated by the arrival of one hundred bloodhoundBloodhound
The Bloodhound is a large breed of dog which, while originally bred to hunt deer and wild boar, was later bred specifically to track human beings. It is a scenthound, tracking by smell, as opposed to a sighthound, which tracks using vision. It is famed for its ability to discern human odors even...
s and their handlers imported from Cuba.
Aftermath
The treaty signed in December between Major General George Walpole and the Maroon leaders established that the Maroons would beg on their knees for the King's forgiveness, return all runaway slaves, and be relocated elsewhere in Jamaica. The governor of Jamaica ratified the treaty, but gave the Maroons only three days to present themselves to beg forgiveness on January 1, 1796. Suspicious of British intentions, most of the Maroons did not surrender until mid-March. The British used the contrived breach of treaty as a pretext to deport the entire Trelawny town Maroons to Nova ScotiaNova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. After a few years the Maroons were again deported to the new British settlement of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
.
Works cited
- Campbell, Mavis C. The Maroons of Jamaica, 1655-1796. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press. 1990.
- Craton, Michael. Testing the Chains: Resistance to Slavery in the British West Indies. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1982.
- Winks, Robin. The Blacks in Canada. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press: 1971.
Among the early historians to mention the Jamaican Maroons and the Second Maroon War were the following:
- R. C. Dallas, The History of the Maroons, From Their Origin to the Establishment of their Chief Tribe at Sierra Leone. 1803
- Bryan EdwardsBryan EdwardsBryan Edwards, FRS was an English politician and historian born in Westbury, Wiltshire. Edwards supported the slave trade, and was described by abolitionist William Wilberforce as a powerful opponent.-Life:...
, History, Civil and Commercial, of the British Colonies in the West Indies. 1793. (Later editions of Edwards' History, which eventually ran to several volumes, included information about the Second Maroon War.)