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Difficulty: MediumMaroon Societies and Flight from Enslavement

Read the following excerpt from the 1739 treaty between Captain Cudjoe, leader of the Leeward Maroons, and the British colonial government in Jamaica:

'That if any negroes shall hereafter run away from their masters or owners, and shall come to the said Captain Cudjoe, or his successors, they shall immediately be taken up and returned to the chief magistrate of the next parish...'

Which of the following best explains the historical significance of this clause?

  1. A
    It illustrates the transition of Cudjoe's followers from grand maroonage to petit maroonage in order to escape recapture by the British.
  2. B
    It reflects the Maroons' primary reliance on covert everyday resistance, such as labor sabotage, to secure formal treaties with planters.
  3. It demonstrates that Maroon autonomy was achieved through pragmatic compromises, requiring established Maroon communities to help preserve the broader system of chattel slavery.Answer
  4. D
    It directly inspired the Stono Rebellion in North America, as enslaved populations sought to escape and join the newly recognized Cudjoe community in Jamaica.

Answer

The clause demonstrates that Maroon autonomy was achieved through pragmatic compromises, requiring established Maroon communities to help preserve the broader system of chattel slavery.
The correct option is correct because the 1739 treaty concluded the First Maroon War by granting Cudjoe's Leeward Maroons land and political autonomy, but at the cost of agreeing to return future runaway slaves and suppress rebellions. This reflects the pragmatic compromises that Maroon communities had to make with colonial states to maintain their sovereignty.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the primary source excerpt to identify the specific obligation placed on Cudjoe and his followers.
The clause requires Cudjoe's Maroon community to return any future runaway enslaved people to colonial magistrates.
Understanding the immediate requirements of the treaty clause is necessary to analyze its broader historical significance.
2
Connect the clause to the concept of Maroon sovereignty and the compromises made with colonial powers.
Maroon communities secured peace, land, and autonomy from the British, but in return, they acted as a colonial police force against new runaways.
This shows the complex dynamic of maroonage, where the freedom of one group of self-liberated people was sustained by helping limit the escape of others.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that accurately describes this tension without introducing conceptual or chronological errors.
The option explaining that Maroon autonomy was achieved through compromises that helped preserve chattel slavery is correct, while other options incorrectly define types of maroonage, resistance, or confuse historical events.
Eliminating incorrect distractors based on accurate historical definitions leads to the correct choice.

Key Concept

The compromises and dynamics of grand maroonage treaties with colonial authorities.
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Topics

Maroon Societies and Flight from Enslavement

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