Flight to Freedom: African Runaways And Maroons in the Americas (Caribbean History)

394 Pages·2006·3.73 MB·English

by  Alvin O. Thompson

Flight to Freedom
Barrington Brathwaite,Zabeth (2004)
Flight to Freedom
African Runaways and
Maroons
in the Americas
Alvin O.Thompson
University of the West Indies Press
Jamaica Barbados Trinidad and Tobago
University of the West Indies Press
1A Aqueduct Flats Mona
Kingston 7 Jamaica
www.uwipress.com
© 2006by Alvin O.Thompson
All rights reserved.Published 2006
10 09 08 07 06 5 4 3 2 1
CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION DATA
Thompson,Alvin O.
Flight to freedom:African runaways and Maroons
in the Americas / Alvin O.Thompson.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN:976-640-180-2
1.Maroons – Caribbean Area – History.2.Fugitive slaves –
Caribbean Area.3.Caribbean Area – History.I.Title.
F1884.T58 2006 972.92
The original manuscript of this book won the literary award in the
category of Political Thought,Prizes of Caribbean Thought 2003–2004.
Cover illustration:Richard Ansdell,The Hunted Slaves(1861).
Reproduced by permission of National Museums Liverpool,United Kingdom.
Book and cover design by Robert Harris.
Set in ACaslon 10.5/14 x24
Printed in the United States of America.
To my wife, Hilda,
with all my love
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
List of Illustrations / ix
Acknowledgements / xi
Introduction / 1
Part 1 Ideological Bases of Marronage
Chapter1 Totalitarianism and Slavery / 21
Chapter2 Forms of Marronage / 53
Part 2 Origins and Development
of Marronage
Chapter3 The Imperative of Freedom / 91
Chapter4 Establishment of Maroon Communities / 109
Chapter5 Military Expeditions and Judicial Terror / 144
Part 3 Maroon Organization
Chapter6 Physical Organization of Maroon Communities / 175
Chapter7 Maroon Government / 211
Chapter8 Maroon Economy / 239
viii
Part 4 Accommodation or Revolution?
Chapter9 Negotiations and Treaties / 265
Chapter10 Maroons and Revolutionary Struggle / 295
Conclusion / 323
Notes / 330
Bibliography / 349
Index / 371
Illustrations
Zabeth / frontispiece
1. The Black Maroon of Haiti / 4
2. Branding an enslaved person / 23
3. Whipping an enslaved person / 24
4. Frederick Douglass / 41
5. A solitary Maroon / 60
6. Grandy Nanny / 76
7. Jamaica:The Maroon phase 1655–1775 / 117
8. Route of Miguel Peréz’s Maroon-hunting militia in 1848 / 121
9. Artist’s reconstruction of Fort Mose / 123
10. Guyana Maroon settlements in the early nineteenth century / 134
11. Gaspar Yanga / 136
12. The Hunted Slaves / 152
13. Domingos Jorge Velho and his aide-de-camp / 157
14. A Brazilian capitão do mato with a captured Maroon / 159
15. A Suriname Maroon hanged alive by the ribs / 162
16. Back of Black,brutalized / 166
17. Palmares and vicinity / 177
18. Nanny Town in post-treaty times / 179
19. Accompong Town in post-treaty times / 182
20. A Bahoruco Maroon community in 1785 / 183
21. Plan of Quilombo Buraco do Tatú / 189
22. Locations of caves in Jamaica / 193
23. A Suriname Maroon attired for war / 207
24. Dogon blacksmiths / 209
25. The Dark Virgin of Guadalupe / 233
26. Leonard Parkinson,Jamaica Maroon captain / 248
27. Akan gold weight / 252
28. Graman Quacy / 270
29. Cudjoe negotiating the Treaty of 1739 / 292
30. Joseph Chatoyer / 300
31. Zumbi ofPalmares / 314
ix