Moore Town is a historic Maroon settlement located in the Blue and John Crow Mountains in eastern Portland Parish. It was founded around 1740 by the Windward Maroons under the leadership of Queen Nanny, one of Jamaica’s most important freedom fighters.

Originally called “New Nanny Town,” it became a central stronghold for formerly enslaved Africans who had escaped into the mountains. Today, Moore Town remains a living community where Maroon traditions, governance, and culture continue.

The Maroons of Jamaica

The Maroons are descendants of enslaved Africans (often alongside Indigenous Taíno people) who escaped plantations and formed independent communities in Jamaica’s mountainous interior from the 1600s onward.

Leaders like Queen Nanny, Cudjoe, and Quao became symbols of resistance and survival.

Culture and Legacy

Maroons have preserved a distinct culture that blends African traditions with Caribbean influences:

• Spiritual practices like Kromanti ceremonies (music, drumming, ancestral rituals)

• Use of the abeng (a horn used for communication across mountains)

Why Moore Town Matters

Moore Town is especially significant because it:

• Is one of the main surviving Maroon communities

• Represents centuries of Black resistance and self-determination

• Is located within a UNESCO World Heritage region