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