Jamaican Maroons in Halifax: A Black Canadian History Guide

The Maroons in Halifax Militias Wentworth and the Nova Scotian colony continued to be concerned about the threat of French attack, stemming from the ongoing war over colonial territory with Britain. Wentworth had previously requested reinforcements to rebuild the colony’s weakened military force, and thus was eager to conscript the incoming Maroons into military service. At the request of Britain’s Prince Edward and Wentworth, the Maroons were to form a militia company. The displaced people’s history of warfare and grit made them ideal candidates for the colony’s armed forces. The Maroons were significantly weakened by the journey to Halifax on prison ships and had a disproportionate ratio of men to women and children (1:3 respectively), which made the possibility of a revolt against military leaders unlikely.

Fig. 9