Behind the Book | Maroons in the Great Dismal Swamp

In my historical/magical realism book coming out in May, two main characters’ relatives are maroons, and the Great Dismal Swamp plays a large role in the story.

The Great Dismal Swamp covers southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. Maroons began settling there in the late 1600s and continued living there well into the mid-19th century. Maroons declared themselves free by fleeing slavery and living in hidden, semi-independent communities surrounded by harsh terrains where they could evade capture. Slave hunters faced a dangerous territory that shifted constantly, never being predictable. With large numbers enslaved in Virginia and North Carolina, escape into the swamp was an ongoing form of resistance. Many disappeared further into the swamp as they dug the Dismal Canal and its various feeder ditches.

Maroons hunted, fished, and farmed small plots on higher ground. They added to their income from jobs linked to timber and shingle production. With caution, they might interact with enslaved laborers and outsiders for extra work. Other seasonal side trades included putting out to sea, fishing during the spring runs of shad and herring, gathering oysters in season, or hunting deer and other wild animals. Pork was a daily staple because the free-roaming hogs fattened on wild chestnuts and acorns. They also raided the families’ produce gardens, much to their dismay.

Maroon Communities included men, women, and children formerly enslaved, ousted Native Americans, white indentured servants, Free Blacks, and outlaws. Their numbers were hard to estimate, but over time, thousands took shelter in the Great Dismal Swamp.