The History of Jamaica: Colonization, Resistance, and Cultural Power — Fexingo History

Jamaica 1690s Obeah Act and Spiritual Suppression

5 min · 24. juni 2026
Billede af episoden Jamaica 1690s Obeah Act and Spiritual Suppression

Beskrivelse

In 1692, Jamaica's colonial assembly passed one of the first laws specifically targeting Obeah, an Afro-Caribbean spiritual practice. This episode explores the origins of the 1692 Obeah Act, its roots in earlier English attempts to control enslaved populations, and the long shadow it cast over Jamaican religious life. We look at how Obeah — a term derived from the Akan word 'obayifo' meaning 'witch' — was criminalized as a tool of resistance, and how colonial authorities conflated it with Myal, a separate but related tradition. Lucas and Luna discuss specific court cases, the role of Obeah in slave conspiracies like the 1760 Tacky's Revolt, and the surprising survival of these practices into the 20th century. The episode also touches on the duality of Obeah as both a source of spiritual power and a weapon of empire, and how the 1692 Act set a precedent for anti-Obeah legislation across the Caribbean. #Obeah #Jamaica #1692ObeahAct #SpiritualSuppression #Akan #Myal #ColonialLegislation #TackysRevolt #CockpitCountry #SlaveResistance #AfroCaribbeanReligion #Maroons #ObeahAct #Kingston #SpanishTown #CaribbeanHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

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Alle episoder

173 episoder

Billede af episoden Jamaica 1740: The Leeward Maroons and the Oath of Blood

Jamaica 1740: The Leeward Maroons and the Oath of Blood

In 1740, the Leeward Maroons of Jamaica swore a solemn oath of blood with British colonial authorities in Trelawny Town, cementing the fragile peace of the 1739 treaty. This episode explores the ceremony, the political calculus on both sides, and what the oath meant for Maroon sovereignty in the years that followed. Lucas and Luna walk through the abeng calls that echoed through the Cockpit Country, the role of Cudjoe's successor Colonel Lewis, and how the British used the treaty to divide the Windward and Leeward Maroons. They also touch on the Obeah ritual that sealed the pact—a blend of Akan spiritual practice and colonial theatre—and how the Maroons became the colony's unofficial border police, hunting runaways in exchange for land rights. The episode challenges the neat story of the Maroon treaty as a victory, revealing the compromises and contradictions that shaped Jamaica's interior through the 18th century. Names like Cudjoe, Accompong, Quao, and Nanny recur, but the focus is on the lesser-known ceremony of 1740 and its aftermath. Rich with sensory detail—rum punch, buffalo horn drinking, the smell of gunpowder in the forest—this episode brings a pivotal but often overlooked moment to life. #LeewardMaroons #Cudjoe #Accompong #TrelawnyTown #CockpitCountry #MaroonTreaty1740 #OathOfBlood #Obeah #Abeng #ColonelLewis #Quao #NannyOfTheMaroons #JamaicanHistory #CaribbeanHistory #ColonialJamaica #MaroonSovereignty #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

22. juli 20269 min
Billede af episoden Jamaica 1690s The Maroon Nanny and the Legend of Nanny Town

Jamaica 1690s The Maroon Nanny and the Legend of Nanny Town

In this episode, Lucas and Luna delve into the story of Nanny of the Maroons, the legendary leader of the Windward Maroons in Jamaica during the 1690s. They explore how Nanny, with her strategic brilliance and spiritual authority, built a fortified settlement known as Nanny Town in the Blue Mountains, successfully resisting British colonial forces for decades. The conversation covers Nanny's use of guerrilla warfare, her role as an Obeah woman, the importance of the abeng horn for communication, and the eventual fall of Nanny Town in 1734. They also touch on the ongoing debate among historians about Nanny's historicity versus her mythical status, and how her legacy was officially recognized in 1976 when she was declared a National Hero of Jamaica. This episode uncovers a unique figure of resistance that has not been covered in prior episodes. #NannyOfTheMaroons #JamaicaHistory #Maroons #NannyTown #WindwardMaroons #BlueMountains #Obeah #GuerrillaWarfare #Abeng #QueenNanny #NationalHero #1690s #ColonialResistance #Jamaica #CaribbeanHistory #MaroonWar #OralTradition #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

22. juli 20266 min
Billede af episoden Jamaica 1690: The Rise of Port Royal's Pirate Economy

Jamaica 1690: The Rise of Port Royal's Pirate Economy

In 1690, Port Royal was the richest and wickedest city in the English colonies, a pirate republic that funneled Spanish silver into English pockets. This episode follows the buccaneers who turned the city into a pirate stronghold, from Henry Morgan's privateering exploits to the devastating 1692 earthquake that buried much of the city under the sea. We explore the economics of piracy, the role of Port Royal as a haven for privateers, and the tension between official colonial authority and the lawless wealth of the pirates. We also look at the aftermath of the earthquake, how the survivors rebuilt in Kingston, and how Port Royal's legacy shaped Jamaica's identity as a rebellious, resourceful island. #PortRoyal #Piracy #HenryMorgan #Buccaneers #Privateers #SpanishTreasureFleet #JamaicaHistory #CaribbeanHistory #GoldenAgeOfPiracy #1692Earthquake #Liquefaction #EnriquilloFaultLine #Kingston #PirateRepublic #ColonialJamaica #History #FexingoHistory #MaritimeHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

I går6 min
Billede af episoden Jamaica 1907: The Kingston Earthquake and the Politics of Ruins

Jamaica 1907: The Kingston Earthquake and the Politics of Ruins

In January 1907, a massive earthquake struck Kingston, Jamaica, leveling much of the city and killing over 800 people. This episode explores not just the disaster itself, but the social and political aftershocks that exposed deep racial and class divisions under British colonial rule. Lucas and Luna walk through the moments of the quake, the failures of relief efforts that favored white and wealthy neighborhoods, the controversial reconstruction plan that displaced poor Black Jamaicans from central Kingston, and the lasting scars on the city's layout. They discuss the role of seismologist John Milne, the vulnerability of tenement yards, and how the disaster accelerated calls for self-government. A story of nature's fury and human inequality. #History #Jamaica #Kingston #1907Earthquake #ColonialJamaica #JohnMilne #TenementYards #RaceAndClass #DisasterRelief #UrbanPlanning #RaeTown #HannahTown #PortRoyal #BritishEmpire #Seismology #CaribbeanHistory #FexingoHistory #NaturalDisaster Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

I går6 min
Billede af episoden Jamaica 1690: The Rise of Port Royal's Pirate Economy

Jamaica 1690: The Rise of Port Royal's Pirate Economy

In the 1690s, Port Royal was the richest and wickedest city in the English Caribbean, a pirate haven built on stolen Spanish silver. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how buccaneers—men like Henry Morgan and Calico Jack Rackham—turned the Jamaican port into a global hub for plunder, trade, and illicit commerce. They discuss the role of privateering during the Anglo-Spanish wars, the infamous pirate republic that operated with de facto impunity, and the city's spectacular demise in the 1692 earthquake. Along the way, they touch on the lives of women pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, the economics of the Spanish treasure fleet, and the legacy of Port Royal as a cautionary tale about wealth built on violence. A must-listen for anyone interested in the golden age of piracy and Jamaica's early colonial history. #PortRoyal #PirateEconomy #HenryMorgan #CalicoJack #AnneBonny #MaryRead #Buccaneers #Privateers #SpanishTreasureFleet #Jamaica1690s #Piracy #CaribbeanHistory #GoldenAgeOfPiracy #Kingston #Treasure #Earthquake1692 #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

20. juli 20266 min