In the end, some 60 whites and between 300 and 400 blacks were killed. Though the militia and armed troops quickly captured and put down this first outbreak, the next several months on the island of Jamaica were filled with slave uprisings. They then moved inland, taking over estates and killing the whites of the plantation - who were often still asleep in their beds.
Tacky led slaves around the island to revolt, murdering a shopkeeper on Easter morning and stealing guns, gunpowder, and other necessary supplies. A particularly noteworthy example of such a Coromantee-chief-led rebellion is Tacky’s Rebellion on Jamaica in 1760. However, Coromantee warriors captured in battle did not easily leave their leadership positions for servitude. Many of these people were the Akan, often from the Ashanti tribe. Many slaves brought to the islands were Coromantee Africans, slaves brought in from the Gold Coast. Most of the slave revolts in Jamaica were led by Coromantee slaves. The organizational unity of Coromantins, due to their common background also contributed to a mutual aid society, burial group, and places to enjoy social entertainment. Edward Long, an 18th century white Jamaican colonist who strongly advocated banning Coromantins, noted that this unity amongst the Akan groups played an important role in organizing plots and rebellions despite the geographical dispersion of Coromantins across different plantations. “Coromantee” was defined as the country from where people came since they shared a common language today known as Twi, and this language formed the basis for membership in a loosely structured organization of people who socialized and helped one another. White slave owners began to distinguish Africans by place of origin and attach behaviors and characteristics based on their ethnicity. These would have included people sold by the Ashanti, but because of frequent wars between Akan groups, would have also included Ashanti, Fanti, and other Akan prisoners of war. Jamaica received a high percentage of people from this region because of Great Britain’s control of the Gold Coast. In the 17th and 18th century, captive Africans from the Gold Coast area, modern day Ghana, were sent to Caribbean colonies. Names of some notable Coromantee leaders such as Cudjoe, Quamin, Cuffy, and Quamina correspond to Akan day names Kojo, Kwame, Kofi, and Kwabena, respectively. The Coromantins and other Akans had the single largest African cultural influence on Jamaica, including Jamaican Maroons whose culture and language was seen as a derivation of Akan. Their fierce, rebellious nature became so notorious amongst white plantation owners in the 18th century that an Act was proposed to ban the importation of people from the Gold Coast despite their reputation as strong workers. Owing to their militaristic background and common Akan language, Coromantins organized dozens of slave rebellions in Jamaica and the Caribbean.
Coromantins were from several Akan ethnic groups – Ashanti, Fanti, Akyem, etc. “Throughout history, Jamaica was home to more slave rebellions than all of the other British islands combined.”Ĭoromantee people, also called Coromantins or Coromanti people was the designation for recent Caribbean and South American people who were enslaved and brought from the Gold Coast or modern day Ghana.
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