Queen Nanny of the Maroons

Queen Nanny, also known as Granny Nanny or Anancy Nanny, was a leader of the Maroons, a group of enslaved Africans who escaped from the British colonies in Jamaica and established independent communities in the mountainous interior of the island.

Today, Queen Nanny is considered a national hero in Jamaica and is honored with a public holiday in her name.

Who was Queen Nanny?

According to legend, Queen Nanny was born in Ghana and was captured and brought to Jamaica as a slave.

She is said to have escaped from a plantation and fled to the Blue Mountains, where Queen Nanny joined a group of Maroons and eventually became their leader.

Queen Nanny was a skilled military strategist and led the Maroons in several successful military campaigns against the British. 

The Maroons were a group of enslaved Africans who escaped from the British colonies in Jamaica and established independent communities in the mountainous interior of the island. The Maroons were known for their resistance to slavery and their ability to defend themselves against the British.

They were led by a series of leaders, including Queen Nanny.

The Maroons established a number of communities in the Blue Mountains, the Cockpit Country, and other remote areas of Jamaica. They developed their own systems of government, social organization, and cultural practices, and they sought to preserve their African heritage and traditions.

The Maroons also established trade and diplomatic relations with the indigenous Taino people, who had lived on the island for centuries before the arrival of the Europeans.

Jamaican Maroons were skilled in using Jamaica’s natural resources to their advantage, and they developed a reputation for being fierce warriors.

The Maroons also had their own language, which was a mix of African and European languages.

Under the leadership of Queen Nanny, the Maroons were able to maintain their freedom for several decades, and in 1739 the Maroons signed a Peace Treaty with the British that gave the Maroons land and autonomy although it required the Jamaican Maroons to act as a Police Force for the British helping the British to capture other runaway slaves.

Nevertheless, its clear that the 1739 Treaty between the British and the Maroons recognised the Maroons and showed that the British feared their ability to influence a widespread Slave Rebellion throughout Jamaica.

Queen Nanny is said to have continued fighting for the freedom of all the Jamaican people even after the treaty was signed. 

It is believed that Queen Nanny died sometime after the signing of the Treaty of 1739.

Some accounts suggest that Queen Nanny died of natural causes, while others say that she was killed in battle.

Queen Nanny’s Impact On Jamaica

Queen Nanny of the Maroons is an iconic figure revered in Jamaica as a symbol of strength and resistance against oppression.

She is celebrated as a national hero, and her story is an important part of Jamaican history.

Many Jamaicans take pride in their African heritage, and Queen Nanny of the Maroons is seen as a powerful symbol of African resistance and independence.