maroons

Maroon communities are settlements of enslaved Africans who escaped bondage and established independent societies in the Americas and the Caribbean during the era of slavery. The term derives from cimarrón in Spanish and cimarrão in Portuguese, meaning wild, untamed, or fugitively living. Maroon groups typically formed in inaccessible terrain—mountains, forests, swamps—where escaping enslaved people could sustain themselves, maintain African cultural practices, and resist recapture.

Geography and examples. In Jamaica, Maroons such as those at Accompong and Moore Town conducted prolonged resistance against British colonial forces and secured treaties in the 18th century that recognized their autonomy and land rights. In Brazil, Quilombo dos Palmares flourished in the northeast interior from the early 1600s until its destruction in 1694, growing into a network of settlements led by figures such as Zumbi dos Palmares. In Colombia, the Palenque of San Basilio was founded by escaped enslaved Africans and preserves the Palenquero creole language and Afro-Colombian culture. In Suriname, maroon groups such as the Saramaka and Ndjuka maintained autonomous communities through treaties with colonial powers. In North America, Black Seminoles formed maroon communities in Florida and adjoining regions, often aligning with Native American groups.

Legacy and status. Today maroon heritage persists across several countries. In Brazil, quilombos are recognized as historic communities with rights to land and cultural preservation. In Jamaica, Maroon communities continue cultural traditions and maintain forms of self-governance. Scholars view maroon societies as important examples of resistance to slavery and as enduring Afro-descendant cultures with distinctive music, language, religion, and social organization.