After escaping slavery in Jamaica in the 18th century, Nanny of the Maroons helped other enslaved Africans escape — and led a guerrilla war against British colonizers.
In most depictions, Nanny of the Maroons is a stately Black woman with cutting eyes. Usually sporting a turban with the flair of a crown, her jaw is set and her gaze determined, as if she’s staring down the British forces she fought during her life on the island nation of Jamaica.
Royal Museums GreenwichA depiction of Nanny of the Maroons, the 18th-century Jamaican freedom fighter.
Like Joan of Arc for France or Queen Boudica for Britain, Nanny of the Maroons is a real historical figure who fought for her people — escaped slaves known as Maroons — whose legacy has taken on so much meaning that she’s become almost more myth than person.
But Nanny of the Maroons was a very real figure. And in the first half of the 18th century, Nanny went from an enslaved woman to a freedom fighter. To this day, she’s celebrated as a national figure in Jamaica, and stands as the only woman in Jamaica history to be honored as a national hero.
This is her story.
How Nanny Of the Maroons Arrived In Jamaica
As a Black woman who escaped slavery in the 18th century, most of the details of Nanny of the Maroon’s early life have been lost to history. But historians believe she was born in Ghana around 1680. And at some point during her young adulthood, she was likely abducted, enslaved, and brought across the ocean to the sugarcane fields of Jamaica.
However, Nanny didn’t remain enslaved for long. According to Enslaved.org, one version of her story suggests that she was captured with her sister. But when they arrived in Jamaica, Nanny was able to escape, establishing the line of Maroons, or escaped Jamaican slaves, while her sister established the line of enslaved non-Maroons. Another version suggests that Nanny was never enslaved and arrived in Jamaica as a free woman, while another version states that Nanny escaped slavery with at least one of her brothers, Kojo (or Cudjoe), and that they fled into the Blue Mountains.
Public DomainA map of Jamaica in 1717.
There, tucked away in the safety of the mountains and far from European settlements, Nanny established a community of Maroons which came to be known as Nanny Town. She was an important leader of the community, and purportedly had the power of Obeah, a sort of folk magic with West African roots. According to the Jamaica Information Service, Nanny also shared stories and traditions from her homeland with her fellow Maroons.
Nanny of the Maroons possessed other skills as well. And she would use her abilities to fight the British, and help free enslaved Africans.
The Violent Maroon Wars Of Jamaican History
As BlackPast reports, Nanny of the Maroons didn’t stay ensconced in the safety of the mountains. Rather, she led raids on plantations and European settlements, and helped free almost 1,000 enslaved Africans across Jamaica. And she was an active participant in the First Maroon War, which lasted from roughly 1728 until 1740.
David Drissel/FlickrAn illustration of Nanny of the Maroons.
Then, Maroons led by Nanny and other Maroon leaders fought with British colonists in Jamaica. The British wanted to quash the Maroon communities, which persistently stole their slaves and burned their crops; the Maroons sought to defend their land — and their freedom.
In this conflict, Nanny’s skills proved particularly useful. She and the others waged guerilla war against the British, and Enslaved.org reports that Nanny was an important tactician. She instructed Maroon warriors to cover themselves in branches and leaves and to use a cow’s horn — known in West Africa as an abeng — to signal a surprise attack. These tactics helped the Maroon warriors to sneak through the woods unseen, and to launch devastating surprise attacks on the British forces.
Some even claim that Nanny could catch and fire bullets with her buttocks. Though Maroon scholars largely agree that this concept was meant to denigrate and vulgarize Nanny and her abilities, it does contain some grains of truth. Jamaican women did show their backsides to express an insult, and stories about Nanny’s ability to “catch” bullets likely stemmed from her prowess as a military tactician during the war.
But while she was a brilliant fighter, Nanny would experience both triumph and tragedy during the First Maroon War.
Public DomainCudjoe negotiating with the British during the First Maroon War.
Indeed, Nanny Town was destroyed during the course of the conflict. Some sources even claim that Nanny was killed in 1733 by a British officer named Captain William Cuffee, though this is contested. But in the end, the Maroons were able to force the British to the bargaining table. Cudjoe, believed to be Nanny’s brother, helped negotiate the peace.
In 1740, the British agreed to cede 500 acres of land to the Maroons — and to guarantee their freedom. In aftermath of the war, the Maroons also rebuilt Nanny Town which was renamed Moore Town, and still stands to this day.
The Proud Legacy Of Nanny Of The Maroons
Like many facts of her life, the facts of Nanny’s death are far from certain. While some believe that she was killed in 1733 by the British, others claim that she survived into old age and died in the 1750s or 1760s.
What’s certain is that Nanny of the Maroons remains an important figure to this day. She is considered a national hero in Jamaica — she is the only female national hero in the country — and appears on Jamaica’s $500 bill. Nanny’s influence also extends into the arts, and a musical about her life is planned for 2027.
Jamaica1962/Wikimedia CommonsA statue of Nanny of the Maroons. She remains a revered figure in Jamaica to this day.
Though many details about her life have been lost to time, Nanny of the Maroons is far from forgotten. Forced into dire circumstances as a young woman, Nanny rose to the occasion as a warrior, leader, and spiritual guide. Her remarkable courage, skill, and fortitude echoes through the ages.
After reading about Nanny of the Maroons, the Maroon leader who fought against the British and freed almost 1,000 enslaved people in Jamaica, discover the remarkable story of Toussaint Louverture, the enslaved man who defeated Napoleon and lead the Haitian Revolution. Or, go inside the horrific story of the Zong Massacre, when 130 enslaved Africans were drowned at sea when their slave ship started running low on supplies.
