Downtown Halifax in Halifax Region, Nova Scotia — The Atlantic Provinces (North America)
The Jamaican Maroons/Les Marrons de la Jamaique
| — | Halifax Citadel National Park Site/Citadelle d'Halifax | — |
Photographed by Sandra Hughes Tidwell, October 15, 2024
1. The Jamaican Maroons/Les Marrons de la Jamaique Marker
The "Maroon Bastion" stood near this location from about 1796 to 1828
The Jamaican Maroons were descendants of enslaved Africans who had escaped to form free communities in the mountainous interior of the island.
After an unsuccessful war with the British in 1795-96, about 600 Maroon men, women, and children were exiled from Jamaica and sent to Nova Scotia, where Lieutenant-Governor John Wentworth hoped they would join in the defence of the colony during the ongoing war with France. As free Black settlers, some Maroon men were organized as a military company and took part in the construction of the 1796 Halifax Citadel. One section became known as the Maroon Bastion.
The Maroons remained in Nova Scotia for four years. In 1800, unhappy with the climate and other circumstances, most left for Sierra Leone, Africa. However, some remained and their descendants live here today, part of a legacy that includes place names like Maroon Hill in Sackville and physical works such as Government House in Halifax.
Le "Bastion
this page online
Les Marrons de la Jamaïque étaient des descendants des Africians réduits en esclavage qui s’étaient enfuis pour établir des communautés indépendantes dans la partie intérieure montagneuse de l'île.
Aprés une guerre infructueuse contre les Britanniques en 1795-1796, environ 600 hommes, femmes et enfants marrons on't été exilés de la Jamaïque et envoyés en Nouvelle-Écosse, où le lieutentant-gouverneur John Wentworth espérait qu'ils participent à défense de la colonie pendant la guerre en course contre la France. En tant que colons noirs libres, quelques hommes marrons ont été organiseés en une compagine de milice et ont participé à la construction de la citadelle de Halifax en 1796. Une section est connue sous le nom de Bastion des Marrons.
Les Marrons sont resteés en Nouvelle-Écosse pendant quatre ans. En 1800, mécontents du climat et d'autres circonstances, la plupart sont partis pour la Sierra Leone, en Afrique. Cependant, certain sont restés et leurs descendants vivent ici aujourd'hui, faisant partie d'un héritage qui comprend des noms de lieux comme Maroon Hill à Sackville et des ouvrages comme l'hôtel du gouverneur (Government House) à Halifax.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans
Photographed by Sandra Hughes Tidwell, October 15, 2024
2. The Jamaican Maroons/Les Marrons de la Jamaique Marker
Location. 44° 38.865′ N, 63° 34.739′ W. Marker is in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in Halifax Region. It is in Downtown Halifax. It is on Sackville Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5425 Sackville Street, Halifax NS B3J 3Y3, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Maritimes and in Atlantic Canada. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, and Acadia.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Halifax Explosion/L'explosion d'Halifax (here, next to this marker); The Saluting Battery / La batterie de salut (here, next to this marker); The Convoys / Les convois (here, next to this marker); Fortress Halifax/La forteresse Halifax (a few steps from this marker); The Acadians on George Island / Les Acadiens sur l'Île Georges (a few steps from this marker); Citadel Hill/La Colline de la Citadelle/Kuowaqe'jk (a few steps from this marker); Halifax Citadel / La Citadelle d’Halifax (within shouting distance of this marker); D-Day/Jour J (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Halifax.
Also see . . . Jamaican Maroons. Jamaican Maroons descended from Africans who freed themselves from slavery in the Colony of Jamaica and established communities of free black people in the island's mountainous interior, primarily in the eastern parishes. Africans who were enslaved during Spanish rule over Jamaica (1493–1655) may have been the first to develop such refugee communities. (Submitted on October 29, 2024, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 1, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 29, 2024, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 259 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 29, 2024, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
