One of the most interesting events in the history of Atlantic Canada is the arrival of the Jamaican Maroons. These were the descendants of Jamaican slaves, who had escaped their Spanish slaveowners in the mid-17th century. For the next 140 years, these freedom fighters fiercely defended their right to live as free and autonomous people. Few outsiders dared approach their strongholds in the mountains of Jamaica.
A truce with the British government in 1738 finally saw the Maroons settled in free communities, the largest in Trelawny Town. Fighting broke out again in 1795, followed by a treaty in 1796. Accused of breaking the treaty, 556 Maroons from Trelawny Town were sent to Nova Scotia aboard the Dover, the Mary, and the Ann. They arrived on June 6, 1796. The Jamaican government agreed to pay the cost of their upkeep.
Governor John Wentworth of Nova Scotia wanted to keep
the Maroons as a fighting force. They worked on the fortifications
of Citadel Hill, as well as Government House. The Duke of Kent
formed the Maroons into a militia. Many were settled on lands in the
Preston and middle Sackville areas. Governor Wentworth settled many
on his own estate.
Having spent 140 years as comrades-in-arms, the Maroons
objected to being divided in this fashion. Nor did they appreciate being put
to work on the Governor's estate. Neither slaves nor servants, they objected to being treated as such. They petitioned the British parliament to remove them from Nova Scotia and, on August 7, 1800, over 550 embarked for Sierra Leone, on board the Asia. Only a handful stayed on in Nova Scotia. Their descendants have become part of the province's population.
The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of Canada.