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Difficulty: HardMaroon Societies and Flight from Enslavement

Read the following excerpt adapted from a seventeenth-century Portuguese colonial report regarding the Quilombo dos Palmares in northeastern Brazil:

"The quilombolas of Palmares have established a state within our state... They live in fortified towns called mocambos, choose a leader whom they obey as a king, and cultivate fields of maize, sweet potatoes, and beans. They not only defend themselves against our expeditions with great military skill but also trade with local merchants, showing that they seek to live entirely outside of Portuguese authority."

Based on the excerpt, the political and economic organization of the Quilombo dos Palmares is best understood as an example of which of the following?

  1. Grand maroonage, which involved the creation of permanent, independent communities that established their own socio-political institutions and defended their sovereignty.Answer
  2. B
    Petit maroonage, which involved temporary individual flight to seek short-term relief or negotiate labor terms with slaveholders before returning to the plantation.
  3. C
    Everyday covert resistance, which relied on subtle, individual acts of sabotage and cultural preservation rather than physical escape from the plantation environment.
  4. D
    Homogenized regional replication, which successfully established a uniform West African state structure that rejected all forms of cultural syncretism.

Answer

Grand maroonage, which involved the creation of permanent, independent communities that established their own socio-political institutions and defended their sovereignty.
The correct option describes grand maroonage, which fits the description in the excerpt. The quilombolas of Palmares established permanent, fortified towns, elected leaders, grew crops, and traded, demonstrating a sustained effort to live independently and defend their sovereignty outside of colonial control.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus to identify the key features of the Quilombo dos Palmares, such as 'fortified towns,' electing a leader/king, cultivating fields, and living 'entirely outside of Portuguese authority.'
Recognized that these characteristics point to a permanent, autonomous, self-governing state rather than temporary flight or inward resistance.
Understanding the scale and intent of the community's organization is crucial for distinguishing different resistance classifications.
2
Differentiate between the definitions of grand maroonage and petit maroonage.
Identified grand maroonage as permanent and sovereign community-building, and petit maroonage as temporary individual flight.
This distinction allows for the elimination of incorrect choices that describe temporary actions.
3
Compare the remaining options with the details of the text, checking for historical accuracy regarding cultural diversity and resistance styles.
Selected the option defining grand maroonage, while rejecting the options involving everyday resistance or homogenized replication.
Sovereign autonomy and permanent defense are key markers of grand maroonage, making the corresponding option correct.

Key Concept

Distinguishing grand maroonage from other forms of resistance based on the permanence, autonomy, and sovereign defense of the communities.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Maroon Societies and Flight from Enslavement

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