Maroon culture yard in Charles Town - learning Jamaican history

There are five Maroon settlements in Jamaica, and one of the easiest ones to access is in Charles Town, just metres away from Buff Bay in Portland. It’s the home to many artifacts that were used by the Maroons, and is a safe haven for children in and around the community. It’s also a tour that kareem’s Quest likes to take persons on, as it provides crucial information about the history of Jamaica.

The maroons have long been an important part of liberation of slaves, particularly in Jamaica. They had outstanding leaders such as Cudjoe, Quaco and Nanny, who, though outnumbered, valiantly fought the British army throughout the 18th century and won.

During the early 16th century, while the island was still under the Spanish monarchy, slaves were fighting for their freedom and fleeing into the the mountainous areas. Based on research done by kareemsquest.com, they were called ‘cimarrones’ by the Spaniards which translated to ‘mountaineers’.

When the British conquered the island from the Spanish in 1655, they introduced barbaric tactics to manage the slaves with the aim of achieving maximum sugar production, which was in high demand. As a result, many slaves began to fight courageously and tensions reached a fever pitch in 1728 with the First Maroon War.

Using guerilla tactics and keeping the battles in the forest regions of the island proved too much for the British, and a treaty was signed in 1739. One of the most prominent conditions for us at kareemsquest.com was the allotment of land. Then British governor Edward Trelawny granted Cudjoe’s maroons 1500 acres of land which incorporated their stronghold in Trelawny, that includes sections of the, now controversial, Cockpit Country.

Since Jamaica’s independence from England in 1962, the Maroons have remained relatively quiet until recently with the accusations that there has been illegal mining taking place in the Cockpit Country.