First Maroon War

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The First Maroon War started in Jamaica in 1731 as a rebellion by Maroons (escaped slaves) against British forces. It lasted on and off for eight years, though in fact it really began in 1655 and continued for 84 years. In 1739-40 the British government in Jamaica, since it could not defeat these warriors, came to an agreement with them. They were to remain in their five main towns (Accompong, Trelawny Town, Moore Town, Scots Hall, Nanny Town), living under their own chief and a British supervisor. In exchange, they were asked to agree not to harbour new runaway slaves, but rather to help catch them. This last clause in the treaty, as you can imagine, caused a split between the Maroons and the rest to the black population, although from time to time runaways from the plantations still found their way in the Maroon settlements.

The person responsible for the compromise with the British was the Maroon leader, Cudjoe, a short, almost dwarf-like man who for years fought skillfully and bravely to maintain his people's independence. As he grew older, however, Cudjoe became increasingly disillusioned. He ran into quarrels with his lieutenants and with other Maroon groups. He felt that the only hope for the future was honorable peace with the enemy, which was just what the British were also thinking. The 1739 treaty should be seen in this light. A year later, the even more rebellious Trewlany Town Maroons also agreed to sign a treaty though they were never happy about it. The discontented with the treaty later leads to the Second Maroon War.