Jamaica – Blue and John Crow Mountains

For many years, slaves of both Taino and African ancestry made new lives as free people amidst the rich biodiversity of the Blue and John Crow Mountains.

The Blue and John Crow Mountains cover a rough and expansively forested mountainous area in the southeastern part of Jamaica. It was this same area which gave refuge first for the indigenous Tainos who were escaping slavery and later for “Maroons”, former African slaves. These runaway and rebellious slaves were resisting the European colonial system in this rugged and isolated region by creating a network of hiding places, trails, and settlements, which made up the Nanny Town Heritage Route. The mountains and the forests gave the Maroons all they needed for their survival. For many years, slaves of both Tainos and African ancestry made new lives as free people amidst the mountain biodiversity.

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