Defiance in the Mist: The Windward Maroons
The Windward Maroons and the Landscape of Resistance (1723–1739)
The "deep history" of Portland is defined by a landscape that resisted conquest long before it ever became a port of commerce. The parish was formally established in 1723, named for the Duke of Portland, then-Governor of Jamaica. However, its creation was a strategic administrative move by the British Crown—a "siege mentality" response to the persistent presence of the Windward Maroons who held the interior highlands.
Portland’s cultural geography was forged in the interior. The Maroon resistance significantly affected early white settlement patterns, forcing colonial authorities to pass numerous laws in a desperate attempt to exert control over the region. This period was defined by a stalemate forced by the terrain itself—a geography that the colonial power could neither master nor ignore.
To truly grasp the atmosphere of this era—the silent movement through the ferns and the high-stakes treaties signed in these very woods—the narrative of the historical fiction The Secret Pact, by Glen Carty, provides an essential lens. By weaving a storyline through contemporaneous characters and events, it brings the period to life, capturing the visceral tension of the 1740s.
The novel explores the deep-seated issues that were sources of contention at the time: the fragility of the peace between the British and the Maroons, the complex internal politics of the resistance, and the relentless pressure of a colonial power struggling to master a landscape it could not conquer. In doing so, it turns the modern landmarks of Portland into a vivid, palpable map of survival and defiance.
Today, the world recognizes the universal value of this history through two distinct UNESCO inscriptions that honor both the people and the land they defended.
The Maroon Heritage of Moore Town was inscribed to protect the Kromanti Play—a complex of ceremonial music, dance, and language—and the oral traditions that have survived since the resistance era.
The Blue and John Crow Mountains hold a rare "Mixed" designation. It recognizes the region's natural biodiversity alongside its cultural significance as a "Landscape of Resistance". This landscape provided refuge for the Maroons, allowing them to preserve their identity against the pressures of the colonial system.
While the later "Golden Age" of Port Antonio focused on the coastline and global trade, the spirit of the parish remains anchored in these mist-covered hills. The struggle for autonomy in the 1700s created the "first layer" of Portland's identity, ensuring that the region would always be defined by its independence.