African Maroons in Sixteenth-Century Panama: A History in DocumentsRobert C. Schwaller From the 1520s through the 1580s, thousands of African slaves fled captivity in Spanish Panama and formed their own communities in the interior of the isthmus. African Maroons in Sixteenth-Century Panama, a primary source reader, edited by Robert C. Schwaller, documents this marronage in the context of five decades of African resistance to slavery. The self-sufficiency of the Maroons, along with their periodic raids against Spanish settlements, sparked armed conflict as Spaniards sought to conquer the maroon communities and kill or re-enslave their populations. After decades of struggle, Maroons succeeded in negotiating a peace with Spanish authorities and establishing the first two free Black towns in the Americas. The little-known details of this dramatic history emerge in these pages, traced through official Spanish accounts, reports, and royal edicts, as well as excerpts from several English sources that recorded alliances between Maroons and English privateers in the region. The contrasting Spanish and English accounts reveal Maroons' attempts to turn European antagonism to their advantage; and, significantly, several accounts feature direct testimony from Maroons. Most importantly, this reader includes translations of the first peace agreements made between a European empire and African Maroons, and the founding documents of the free-Black communities of Santiago del Príncipe and Santa Cruz la Real—the culmination of the first successful African resistance movement in the Americas. Schwaller has translated all the documents into English and presents each with a short introduction, thorough annotations, and full historical, cultural, and geographical context, making this volume accessible to undergraduate students while remaining a unique document collection for scholars. |
Contents
Royal Cedula Authorizing Rewards for Capturing Maroons | |
Francisco Carreños 1554 Expedition against Bayano 1562 | |
Governor Luis de Guzmán to the Crown August 28 1562 | |
The Cabildo of Panama City to the Crown May 25 1571 | |
Excerpts from Sir Francis Drake Revived Drakes Alliance | |
Excerpts from Sir Francis Drake Revived Drakes Final | |
Pedro de Ortega Valencia to the Crown November 1 1573 | |
Diego de Frías Trejo to the Crown February 18 1578 | |
Royal Cedula Ordering War with Negros Cimarrones May | |
Testimony of Rodrigo Hernández Dean of the Cathedral | |
Arrival of Negros from the Cerro de Cabra to Surrender | |
Account of Captain Antonio de Salcedo in Portobelo | |
Juan de Vivero Treasurer to the Crown February 28 1581 | |
President Cepeda to the Crown February 25 1581 | |
The Audiencia to the Crown December 24 1581 | |
Lopez Vazs Account of John Oxenhams 1576 Expedition | |
The City of Panama to the Crown June 7 1577 | |
Excerpts from the Questioning of John Oxenham October | |
Deposition of Juan Vaquero May 3 1582 | |
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African Maroons in Sixteenth-Century Panama: A History in Documents Robert C. Schwaller Limited preview - 2021 |
Common terms and phrases
Acla Aguado Antón Mandinga appears arrived Atlantic Africa Bayano Biafara Bran bush cabildo captured Casanga Catalina city of Nombre city of Panama coast Congo corsairs Criado de Castilla criolla Cruz la Real Cueva Diego documents don Luis Maçanbique Drake English enslaved Africans españoles expedition Felipillo fled Frías Trejo gold governor Gulf of San india Indigenous indios John Oxenham Juan killed kingdom land of Zape leagues Loarte maestre de campo Majesty María maroons marronage monte negro or negra negros and negras negros cimarrones Nombre de Dios north sea ordinances Ortega Valencia Oxenham Panama 13 Panama City Patronato peace Pearl Islands Pedro de Ortega Pedro de Ursúa Portobelo presidente and oidores pueblo raid Real de San region residents Río Río Chepo river Royal Audiencia San Miguel Santiago del Príncipe señor doctor sent settlement ship slaves soldiers Source south sea Spaniards Spanish Caribbean stature vecinos witness zambaigo