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Difficulty: Very hardMaroon Societies and Flight from Enslavement

Read the following excerpt from the 1739 Articles of Agreement between the British colonial government of Jamaica and Captain Cudjoe of the Trelawny Town Maroons:

"Sixthly, That the said Captain Cudjoe, and his successors, shall use their best endeavors to take, kill, suppress, or destroy, either by themselves or jointly with as many of the inhabitants as shall be sent to join them, all rebels wheresoever they shall be throughout the Island... Ninthly, That if any negroes shall run-away from their masters or owners, and shall run into the said Captain Cudjoe's town, they shall immediately be taken and secured, and sent back to the next Magistrate..."

Based on the excerpt, which of the following best explains the historical significance of the 1739 treaty in the context of maroonage and resistance to enslavement?

  1. It secured political autonomy and land rights for the Maroon community in exchange for their agreement to return future runaways and suppress subsequent rebellions.Answer
  2. B
    It represented a formal agreement detailing petit maroonage, allowing enslaved individuals to temporarily leave plantations for seasonal labor negotiations without punishment.
  3. C
    It illustrates how Maroon resistance was limited to covert, daily actions of sabotage rather than sustained, collective military confrontation.
  4. D
    It was a direct precursor to the Stono Rebellion, facilitating a shared trans-Caribbean and North American military coalition to end chattel slavery.

Answer

The correct answer states that the treaty secured political autonomy and land rights for the Maroon community in exchange for their agreement to return future runaways and suppress subsequent rebellions.
The correct answer explains that the 1739 treaty established a formal peace between the British and Cudjoe's Maroons, recognizing their autonomy and land ownership. However, it came at the cost of the Maroons agreeing to help colonial authorities return future escapees and defeat other rebellions, demonstrating the complex compromises made by grand maroonage societies to survive.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the primary source text.
The text shows Captain Cudjoe agreeing to suppress 'rebels' and return runaways to colonial magistrates.
To understand the terms agreed upon by the Maroon community and the British colonial authorities.
2
Define the nature of the Maroon community.
The community represents grand maroonage, which refers to the establishment of permanent, self-governing societies independent of colonial rule.
To contextualize the political scale and historical legacy of the Cudjoe Treaty.
3
Evaluate the compromise inherent in the treaty.
The Maroons gained legal recognition of their freedom and territory, but were integrated into the colonial apparatus as slave catchers and defenders against other slave revolts.
To identify the correct conceptual explanation of the treaty's historical significance.

Key Concept

The complex compromise of grand maroonage, where communities secured territorial autonomy by agreeing to cooperate with colonial powers to return future runaway slaves.
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Topics

Maroon Societies and Flight from Enslavement

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