Captain Leonard Parkinson
Watching the British Column, 1795
Captain Leonard Parkinson observing British troops from the jungle ridge

The Unconquered People

"We are the Maroons. Bound by treaty, betrayed by ambition, but never defeated in spirit."

Explore the Legacy

A History Written in Blood and Fire

For over 40 years, we have meticulously researched the true story of the Trelawny Town Maroons. This is not the colonial history found in textbooks. This is the story of a free people who defied an empire.

From the rugged limestone cliffs of the Cockpit Country to the frozen shores of Nova Scotia and the coast of Sierra Leone, the Maroon journey is one of resilience, betrayal, and unyielding dignity.

1738

The Blood Treaty

Cudjoe forces the British Empire to the negotiating table. Peace signed in blood — the first of its kind in the Caribbean.

1795

The Second War

Sparked by a whipping, fueled by betrayal. The Maroons of Trelawny Town face the full might of the British Empire.

1796

The Exile

Betrayed by Governor Balcarres, 568 Maroons are deported to the frozen shores of Nova Scotia.

1800

Sierra Leone

After four years of hardship in Canada, the exiled Maroons are resettled in Sierra Leone — never to return to Jamaica.

"One Maroon in the bush is worth ten British regulars."
— British Military Dispatch, Jamaica, 1795

The People Behind the History

Three men defined the Trelawny Town Maroon story — each in his own era, each irreplaceable.

The Founding, 1738

Colonel Cudjoe

Strategist. Warrior. Nation-builder. He waged an 80-year war against the British and forced them to sign the first peace treaty in the Caribbean.

The War, 1795

Captain Leonard Parkinson

The last great military commander of Trelawny Town. He led the Invisible Army against Sandford's column and kept the British at bay for months.

The Council, 1795

Montague James

Last Captain of Trelawny Town. Presided over the war council that answered the insult of the whipping with a single word: war.