George I (Moskito)
Encyclopedia
George I was king of the Miskito, 1755-1776. He was brother of King Edward and son of Jeremy II
and was chosen king because Jeremy II's son was still too young to rule.
) who were mixed indigenous and African, and "pure Indians"(Miskito Tawira
); and was further divided into four domains: the domains of the king and the general in the north and west, inhabited by "Samboes" and the domains of the governor and admiral inhabited by "pure Indians." British settlers first reported this four fold division in 1766 and it is possible that George created or consolidated it.
.
) and were vigorously pushing their authority southward into Tawira domains (which lay mostly in today's Nicaragua
). This pattern was resisted by Dilson, who was the Admiral and thus controlled the extreme southern parts of the Miskito domain. In June 1769 the Zambo admiral, Israel Sella, warned the king that Dilson's brother, Jaspar Hall along with two "Mosquito men" named John Chord and Vizer visited the Spanish at Cartago and received gifts as a part of a plan to displace the English from the shore. Spanish officials declared that Dilson was the "governor of the Miskito nation." Dilson also involved Briton, the Governor, who also controlled a Tawira population, in his cause.
At the same time, Tempest, the Zambu General traveled to England attempt to persuade the king of England to separate the administration of the English living in Central America from Jamaica, a move which led George to believe he was plotting his overthrow. The threat was sufficient that George sought aid from both Dilson and Briton, but only Briton agreed to assist him.
George also gave many generous land grants to Englishmen to establish plantations. He gave many around Black River, their largest settlement, but also gave them around Bluefields, which was in land ruled by the Tawira Admiral, a definite move to establish his authority throughout the Miskito Kingdom. Among these grants were ones given to Dr Charles Irwin, who sought the assistance of Olaudah Equiano to recruit slaves in 1776. In exchange, the Tawira Admiral, Dilson II continued negotiations with the Spanish.
.
Jeremy II
Jeremy II was a King of the Miskito kingdom. The dates of his succession to the throne and death are uncertain. Spanish sources refer to him as Bernabé.Little is known about this king...
and was chosen king because Jeremy II's son was still too young to rule.
Divisions
According to a report on the country written in 1773 by Brian Edwards, his lands were divided into two population groups, the "Samboes" (Miskito SambuMiskito Sambu
The Miskito Sambu are a mixed-race population group occupying the Caribbean coast of Central America, focused on the region of the Honduras-Nicaragua border...
) who were mixed indigenous and African, and "pure Indians"(Miskito Tawira
Tawira Miskito
The Tawira Miskito are indigenous peoples of Nicaragua. They are a band of Miskito people and lives in the southern part of the Mosquito Coast. They are also known as Tauira and Tawira. They speak the Tawira language....
); and was further divided into four domains: the domains of the king and the general in the north and west, inhabited by "Samboes" and the domains of the governor and admiral inhabited by "pure Indians." British settlers first reported this four fold division in 1766 and it is possible that George created or consolidated it.
Population
Edwards also observed that in 1770, George's kingdom had a population that he estimated numbered between 7,000 and 10,000 fighting men, which at a ratio of four civilians to one fighter would make 28,000 and 40,000 people. In addition to Miskitos, the population included 1,400 British inhabitants, of which 136 where white, 112 of mixed race and about 600 slaves, mostly concentrated around the British settlement of Black River, but other concentrations were at Cape Gracias a Dios and at BluefieldsBluefields
Bluefields is the capital of the municipality of the same name, and of Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur in Nicaragua. It was also capital of the former Zelaya Department, which was divided into North and South Atlantic Autonomous Regions...
.
Political Developments during his Reign
One of the tensions within the Miskito domain was that between the Zambu and Tawira, since the Zambus controlled the north and west (primarily in modern day HondurasHonduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
) and were vigorously pushing their authority southward into Tawira domains (which lay mostly in today's Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
). This pattern was resisted by Dilson, who was the Admiral and thus controlled the extreme southern parts of the Miskito domain. In June 1769 the Zambo admiral, Israel Sella, warned the king that Dilson's brother, Jaspar Hall along with two "Mosquito men" named John Chord and Vizer visited the Spanish at Cartago and received gifts as a part of a plan to displace the English from the shore. Spanish officials declared that Dilson was the "governor of the Miskito nation." Dilson also involved Briton, the Governor, who also controlled a Tawira population, in his cause.
At the same time, Tempest, the Zambu General traveled to England attempt to persuade the king of England to separate the administration of the English living in Central America from Jamaica, a move which led George to believe he was plotting his overthrow. The threat was sufficient that George sought aid from both Dilson and Briton, but only Briton agreed to assist him.
George also gave many generous land grants to Englishmen to establish plantations. He gave many around Black River, their largest settlement, but also gave them around Bluefields, which was in land ruled by the Tawira Admiral, a definite move to establish his authority throughout the Miskito Kingdom. Among these grants were ones given to Dr Charles Irwin, who sought the assistance of Olaudah Equiano to recruit slaves in 1776. In exchange, the Tawira Admiral, Dilson II continued negotiations with the Spanish.
The Miskito Kingdom and the American Revolution
Perhaps as a result of the earlier negotiations undertaken by Tempest, George visited Jamaica in 1774 to place his kingdom under the "sovereignty of his Majesty" the king of England, and received gifts in exchange. He is said to have sent the king of England a barrel of soil from the Miskito Kingdom and promised to supply 5,000 fighters to the English suppress any revolt that might break out in North America.Death
George died during a smallpox epidemic in 1777, and was succeeded by his son George IIGeorge II
George II may refer to:* George II of Abkhazia * George II of Georgia * Yuri II of Vladimir or George II * George II of Bulgaria * George II of Kakheti * George II of Imereti...
.