'A Large Quantity of Edibles, Too Much to Ruin Them All’. Dutch Colonial Language on Maroon Crop Diversity and Wild Plant Use

The succesful escape from slavery between the late 17th and the mid 19thth century depended greatly on the runaway’s skills in adapting themselves to their natural environment. Although published works on the (oral) history of the Maroons hardly contain information on the gardens of the runaways, archival records of military expeditions aimed to destroy Maroon settlements report large provision fields, a variety of crops and ingenious uses of the surrounding forest. Vegetation types, cultivated crops and wild plants, indicated with archaic Dutch and Surinamese names, and written in a variety of spellings, are difficult to interpret for researchers studying archival records of this period. Still, these scholars have seldom collaborated with botanists to decipher such names. What crops did the Maroons grow in and around their hideouts? Which wild plant species were essential for their survival? Here we present a list of ultivated crops, wild useful plants and vegetation types that appear in colonial accounts on the violent destruction of the settlements of those who had sought freedom from the the harsh conditions of slavery. Although written by people who generaly despised Maroons, the accounts of the armed troops reflect the African agency in transforming plant use in the Americas. Their excellent agricultural skills and knowledge of the local flora helped the Maroons to survive and thrive in their hidden forest settlements. Although never mentioned by the reporters, these archival documents also reflect the plant knowledge of indigenous and enslaved militia members.