Maroons: In the African American Public History

The Jamaican Maroon experience is indeed a significant example of slave resistance in the Americas. The Maroons were enslaved Africans who escaped from plantations and formed their own independent communities in the mountainous regions of Jamaica.

Douma reviews two books: (1) Slavery's Exiles: The Story of the American Maroons, by Sylviane A. Diouf (New York University Press, 2014); and (2) The Maroons of Prospect Bluff and Their Quest for Freedom In the Atlantic, by Nathaniel Millett (University Press of Florida, 2013).

Nanny of the Maroons and the Upper West Side (Figure 1) portrays the untold stories of Caribbean women workers who care for the children of Manhattan's elite and middle class families on the Upper West Side. These New Yorkers could not maintain their personal and professional lives without the labor of Caribbean babysitters, nannies, cleaners, maids and home aids. Many domestic laborers migrated from former British colonies, such as Jamaica. Nanny of the Maroons is an immortalized rebel leader who organized and fought against British colonialism and the enslavement of Africans. In this collage, Nanny of the Maroons now lives a different life as a laborer in New York City.

Examining dialogue about the Jamaican maroon treaties of 1739, this article locates the Haitian Revolution within a wider constellation of events that contributed to a reconceptualization of slave resistance in the United States. During the early republic, Americans drew on combined images of the Haitian Revolution, the Second Maroon War, and the Second Seminole War as they reconceived of the Jamaican maroons and their association with the violent assertion of liberty. Between 1739 and the 1780s, Anglo-Atlantic whites viewed the maroons as having rightfully won their liberty through violent resistance and as helpful allies of the Jamaican slave society. During the 1790s, confronted with the violence in Saint-Domingue and the Second Maroon War in Jamaica, some white observers began to question the mid-eighteenth-century wisdom of compromising with rebellious blacks. Others referenced the maroon treaties in recommending pragmatic negotiations with Saint-Domingue to reestablish stability in the Caribbean. Such references signified the surprising persistence of the notion that legitimizing slave resistance by treaty could diffuse an otherwise disastrous race war. Finally, between the 1810s and the Civil War, Americans dichotomized discourse about the maroons into pro- and antislavery narratives, both of which strayed from predominant eighteenth-century descriptions of the maroons. Advocates of slavery challenged the perception of the maroons as a legitimately free body of people contributing to the stability of society. In contrast, slavery’s detractors cast them as racial warriors fighting against bondage rather than as a community of free blacks allied with the slavocracy.

"Welcome the Outlaw: Pirates, Maroons, and Caribbean Countercultures" explores the complex and dynamic histories of pirates and maroons in the Caribbean, presenting a captivating narrative of countercultures that emerged in the region. Authored by Dr. Kenneth Bilby, a renowned scholar specializing in Caribbean history and culture, the book delves into the rebellious and often marginalized groups that shaped the social fabric of the Caribbean.

The term "outlaw" takes center stage as the book examines the lives of pirates and maroons—individuals who existed on the fringes of conventional society, challenging established norms and authority structures. Dr. Bilby skillfully weaves together narratives of piracy, maroon communities, and the broader countercultures that emerged in the Caribbean, providing readers with a nuanced understanding of resistance and autonomy.

The exploration of pirates goes beyond the romanticized images often portrayed in popular culture, delving into the historical realities of these seafaring outlaws. Additionally, the book sheds light on maroon communities—escaped slaves who sought freedom and established independent societies in challenging terrains. These countercultures are analyzed in the context of the Caribbean's rich and diverse history, offering readers a deeper appreciation for the complexities of rebellion and resistance.

As a scholarly work, "Welcome the Outlaw" draws on historical research, primary sources, and the author's expertise to provide a comprehensive and insightful examination of Caribbean countercultures. The book not only contributes to academic discussions on Caribbean history but also offers a compelling narrative that engages a broader readership interested in the untold stories of piracy, maroons, and the vibrant countercultures that left an indelible mark on the Caribbean's past.

The Jamaican Maroon experience is indeed a significant example of slave resistance in the Americas. The Maroons were enslaved Africans who escaped from plantations and formed their own independent communities in the mountainous regions of Jamaica.