Freedom in Florida: Maroons Making Do in the Colonial Borderland

Summary

We define Maroons by their overt resistance; theirs was one of the most extreme forms of anti-slavery resistance in the Americas and for many scholars is representative of the human desire to be free. Maroons removed themselves from the places in which they were enslaved and created new places apart from this brutal existence. However, reducing our understanding of Maroon life to a history of domination and resistance limits the scope of Maroon agency and values certain forms of action, such as armed conflict and escape, above the repeated actions of daily life. Maroons certainly resisted, however, in this paper, I consider the case of Peliklikaha, a Maroon town in Central Florida, in order to demonstrate that resistance alone did not constitute Maroon life.  Maroons created a frontier in Florida, which sustained their lives, communities, and freedoms. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Placemaking Within (the) Diaspora: Creating and Living Novel Landscapes and Places   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 993