Paramaribo marks the Ndyuka peace agreement

In a letter dated 6 June 1757, former colonial officials warned of a worst-case outcome if the uprising was not suppressed. Their fears included loss of property and the possibility that Europeans...

In a letter dated 11 September 1759, Governor Crommelin again argued that peace with the Ndyuka was necessary to save the colony. The campaign to force Maroon communities back under plantation...

At a negotiation recorded on 6 January 1760, an unnamed Ndyuka spokesperson defended Maroon attacks on plantations. The surviving colonial record gives the date but not the speaker’s name. The...

A record dated 20 February 1760 documents Boston Band’s role in negotiations with Dutch colonial representatives. Boston, a formerly enslaved man who had become a leader among the Ndyuka, advocated...

On 10 October 1760, Ndyuka leaders and Dutch colonial authorities signed a treaty recognizing Ndyuka freedom and autonomy. The agreement promised supplies, but also required Ndyuka to ally with the...

A letter dated 2 April 1761 records Boston Band addressing the issue of people fleeing slavery on plantations. The Ndyuka treaty required the return of some escapees, placing Boston and other...

In a letter dated 29 December 1761, Governor Crommelin complained about compliance with the 1760 peace treaty. The complaint shows that treaty relations remained contested and that the colonial...

A colonial archival record dated 5 February 1762 marks a successful phase in a peace mission to the Saamaka. The negotiations followed decades of conflict and an earlier failed attempt at peace....

On 19 September 1762, Saamaka leaders and Dutch colonial authorities signed a peace treaty. The agreement recognized the Saamaka as a distinct free community, establishing a negotiated boundary...

In a report dated 4 May 1772, Captain Oorsinga described how the marsh around Fort Buku made a colonial attack difficult. Buku was an Aluku settlement and defensive base led by Boni and his allies....