Almost Home
Maroons between Slavery and Freedom in Jamaica, Nova Scotia, and Sierra Leone
Published on 22. May 2018
Book
Hardback
336 pages
978-0-300-22046-9 (ISBN)
Description
The unique story of a small community of escaped slaves who revolted against the British government yet still managed to maneuver and survive against all odds
After being exiled from their native Jamaica in 1795, the Trelawney Town Maroons endured in Nova Scotia and then in Sierra Leone. In this gripping narrative, Ruma Chopra demonstrates how the unlikely survival of this community of escaped slaves reveals the contradictions of slavery and the complexities of the British antislavery era.
While some Europeans sought to enlist the Maroons' help in securing the institution of slavery and others viewed them as junior partners in the global fight to abolish it, the Maroons deftly negotiated their position to avoid subjugation and take advantage of their limited opportunities. Drawing on a vast array of primary source material, Chopra traces their journey and eventual transformation into refugees, empire builders-and sometimes even slave catchers and slave owners. Chopra's compelling tale, encompassing three distinct regions of the British Atlantic, will be read by scholars across a range of fields.
After being exiled from their native Jamaica in 1795, the Trelawney Town Maroons endured in Nova Scotia and then in Sierra Leone. In this gripping narrative, Ruma Chopra demonstrates how the unlikely survival of this community of escaped slaves reveals the contradictions of slavery and the complexities of the British antislavery era.
While some Europeans sought to enlist the Maroons' help in securing the institution of slavery and others viewed them as junior partners in the global fight to abolish it, the Maroons deftly negotiated their position to avoid subjugation and take advantage of their limited opportunities. Drawing on a vast array of primary source material, Chopra traces their journey and eventual transformation into refugees, empire builders-and sometimes even slave catchers and slave owners. Chopra's compelling tale, encompassing three distinct regions of the British Atlantic, will be read by scholars across a range of fields.
Reviews / Votes
"A well-documented account of the remarkable transatlantic journey of the Trelawneys, making it particularly useful for readers interested in viewing the Maroons in relation to the geopolitics of empire and the forces that buffeted them in one direction or another following the Second Maroon War"-Kenneth Bilby, New West Indian Guide"This well-paced narrative traces the movement of the Maroons through three spaces of British imperial power, identifying the common strands of colonial defense, humanitarian philanthropy, and paternalistic miscalculation that drove policy toward the Maroon community" -Bronwen Everill, American Historical Review
"Almost Home is impressively researched"-Jerrey A. Fortin, The Journal of American History
Winner of the Outstanding Academic Title for 2018 award sponsored by Choice
"Drawing on an impressive array of sources, Chopra succeeds admirably in showing how the confrontation between the forces of slavery and anti-slavery significantly shaped the gripping history of the Trelawney Maroons."-Barry Gaspar, Duke University
"In tracing the Maroons' itinerant encounter with slave owners, freedmen, empire builders, and African peoples, Chopra adds new complexity to the story of black freedom in the Revolutionary Era." -Miranda Spieler, The American University of Paris
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
8 b-w illus.
Dimensions
Height: 210 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
544 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-300-22046-9 (9780300220469)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Ruma Chopra is professor of history at San Jose State University and the author of Unnatural Rebellion: Loyalists in New York City During the Revolution and Choosing Sides: Loyalists in Revolutionary America. She lives in Oakland, CA.