The Untold Story of Queen Nanny, the Slave Who Became a General

The Untold Story of Queen Nanny, the Slave Who Became a General

In the early 1700s, during the height of the transatlantic slave trade, a fierce woman from the Ashanti people of what is now Ghana was captured and sold into slavery. Her name was Nanny. But unlike so many others, Nanny’s story did not end in chains. It was just the beginning.

Transported to Jamaica, Nanny escaped into the island’s rugged Blue Mountains. There, she joined the Maroons—groups of runaway slaves who had formed independent communities deep in the forests. But Nanny was not just a survivor. She became a leader, a strategist, and a military genius.

Using guerrilla tactics, camouflage, and knowledge of the terrain, Queen Nanny led the Windward Maroons in countless successful raids against British plantations. Her leadership was so effective that the British feared her name. It is said that she could catch bullets with her hands and vanish into the jungle like a spirit.

By 1739, the British were forced to sign a treaty with the Maroons—an unheard-of move at the time. It recognized their land and independence, a direct result of Queen Nanny’s unyielding resistance.

Today, Queen Nanny is a National Hero of Jamaica. But few outside the island know the full story of the enslaved African woman who became a general, a queen, and a legend of freedom.

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