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The Maroons were escaped slaves. They ran away from their Spanish-owned plantations when the British took the Caribbean island of Jamaica from Spain in 1655. The word maroon comes from the Spanish word ‘cimarrones‘, which meant ‘mountaineers’. They fled to the mountainous areas of Jamaica, where it was difficult for their owners to follow and catch them, and formed independent communities as free men and women. As more slaves were imported from Africa to work on the developing sugar plantations, and the population of enslaved Africans grew on Jamaica, there were more rebellions by the slaves. Some of the rebel slaves disappeared into the mountains and joined the Maroon communities. As the Maroon population grew, the Jamaican government decided to defeat the Maroons once and for all. They were seen as a constant threat by the government. The First Maroon War began in 1728. The campaign against them made the Maroons more determined than ever. Under their leader called Cudjoe, the Maroons fought back. In 1739, the British and the Maroons made peace. The freedom of the Maroons was recognised and their land was given to them. The Maroons were to govern themselves. In return they would support the British government in Jamaica against foreign invasion and would help capture rebel slaves and runaways from the plantations and return them to their owners. Although this agreement might seem strange now, it was one way for the Maroons to live in peace with the island’s government. Pictured here is a drawing entitled Pacification with the Maroon Negroes, dated 1801. It is an imaginary view of a meeting between British soldiers and Maroons. It is not clear whether it is meant to be of the 1739 or the 1795 peace agreement. The leaders of the Maroons did meet British officers to accept a peace agreement offered to them. Credit: National Maritime Museum. There were many years of peace between the Maroons and the British in Jamaica. But, in 1795, the new Governor of Jamaica, Balcarres, decided to deal with some minor breaches of the peace treaty by a community of Maroons called the Trelawney Town Maroons. The plantation owners asked the governor not to take action. They felt that an agreement should be reached with the Maroons to maintain the peace of the town. The governor went ahead against this advice, arresting several of the leaders of Trelawney Town. This started the Second Maroon War. 300 Maroons in Trelawney Town held out against 1500 troops and 3000 local volunteer troops. After five months of fighting, the undefeated Maroons were offered an agreement for peace. When they surrendered their arms, the Governor cheated on the peace agreement offered. The Maroons were arrested and, against the agreement they had accepted, were transported off the island to Nova Scotia, on the east coast of north America, and later went to Sierra Leone, West Africa. Leonard Parkinson was one of the leaders of the Maroons, he was active in the Second Maroon War. The local authorities put a price on his head of £50, (about £2,500 today), wanted dead or alive. Parkinson, pictured below, was known as the Captain of the Maroons. Credit: www.johnhorse.com Trelawney Town was the largest of the Maroon settlements on the island of Jamaica. The image pictured below of Trelawney Town shows the British soldiers riding in to attack the town. The Maroons are surrounding them, ready to resist, and would beat them back. Maroons were known for their skilful tactics in combat, whereby they relied on their knowledge of the surrounding environment to outwit the attackers. Credit: National Maritime Museum. Some additional info from an interview with a breadrin who knows a thing or two about the history about the Maroons and how they came to be. YouTube Video Credit: I Never Knew Tv How much did you know about the "The maroons of Jamaica"? comment below.

Jamaican Patois, is expressive, colourful and, to a non-Jamaican, often confusing. The Jamaican language is largely a derivative of Spanish, English and African influences on the country through its colonial history. Although the official language of Jamaica is English, many Jamaicans speak Patois in casual everyday conversation. Here are 15 Jamaican Patois phrases to know and use on your next visit to Jamaica. 1. Small up yuhself A useful expression to know when using crowded buses or taxis; Small up yuhself quite literally means to make some room. 2. Mi Soon Come This Jamaican expression means literally: I’ll be right there. However if you’re told mi soon come, don’t be fooled. Island time is much slower than the rest of the world and this expression should be interpreted as meaning anything from a few hours to a few days. 3. Weh yuh ah seh Literally translated as ‘what are you saying’, but actually meaning ‘how are you doing’. For example: Weh yuh a seh? Mi deh try call yuh means, ‘How are you doing? I’ve been trying to call you.’ 4. Inna di morrows Used when saying goodbye. The literal translation would be ‘In the tomorrows’, meaning ‘see you later’. 5. Duppy Conqueror Bob Marley sang about them in Duppy Conqueror and Ian Fleming mentions them in Live and Let Die. In a land where superstition reigns by day and duppies (spirits) haunt by night, religion is more than just saying your prayers before you go to bed in Jamaica. This expression implies a fearless person overcoming obstacles and difficulties. The literal translation is ‘ghost conqueror’. 6. Mash up This phrase means damage or destroy. For example, Mi mash up mi fone means ‘I’ve broken my phone’. This is a popular expression and even road-signs will advise drivers to mash up yuh brakes. Meaning slow down. 7. Bless Up Religion peppers all aspects of Jamaican life and wishing people a good day is often done by using the expression bless up. Blessings can also be used. 8. Wah Gwaan This is probably the most well known Jamaican greeting and was even used by US President Barack Obama during his inaugural visit to Jamaica. Wah Gwaan is a casual greeting to enquire how somebody is or what’s up. 9. Mi deh yah, yuh know Impress locals with this handy phrase which is often used in response to Wah Gwaan. The secret is in the pronunciation and the trick is to say it fast – almost as one word. While the literal translation is ‘I am here’, the implied meaning is ‘everything is ok’, or ‘I’m doing well’. 10. Lickkle more Meaning see ‘you later’ or ‘goodbye’. For example, mi see yuh likkle more den – I’ll see you later then. 11. John-crow, yuh waan flap a wing John-crow is a Jamaican bird, known commonly across North America as the turkey buzzard. The expression yuh waan flap a wing, no doubt familiar to dancehall aficionados, is a term used to ask a girl to dance. 12. Chaka-Chaka If something is chaka-chaka it means poor quality, disorganized and messy. 13. Raggamuffin This is a term used to describe a streetwise, tough guy. It’s also a type of music usually abbreviated as ragga and is a subgenre of dancehall music and reggae. 14. Kick Up Rumpus To Kick up rumpus means to have a riotous good time. It was also the title of a hit 1985 song by Colourman and Jackie Knockshot.   Share your thought on which one is you favourite, which one have you used before. 😎