Miskito Sambu
Encyclopedia
The Miskito Sambu are a mixed-race (African-Indigenous American) population group occupying the Caribbean coast of Central America, focused on the region of the Honduras
-Nicaragua
border. Modern ethnographic terminology uses the term "Miskito Sambu", older documents, beginning with Spanish ones of the early 18th century, refer to the group as "Mosquitos Zambos."
, thought that the local people received the Africans hospitably and married with them.
Sources written later still give different accounts. The bishop of Nicaragua, Benito Garret y Arlovi writing in 1711, but basing himself on reports by missionaries who worked in Nueva Segovia and Chontales as well as the testimony of an "ancient" former slave named Juan Ramón, said that the Africans violently overthrew their hosts, and intermarried with their women.
The date and circumstances of the shipwreck are also uncertain. Bishop Garret y Arlovi related that the ship wrecked in 1641, while an English buccaneer only known as M. W., writing in 1699 mentions two different dates in two different places: in one instance he places it as 50 years earlier (or 1649) while in another he places it 60 years earlier (1639), which might mean that his informants told him contradictory information, or that there were two shipwrecks.
According to Exquemelin's original account, the slaves took over the ship in a revolt and brought it to the coast, while the Spanish translation of the account, which may have had access to other sources, said the ship was carrying the slaves to "Tierra Firme" (Panama) and it wrecked on an island and the slaves swam ashore. The French translation adds that the ship was Portuguese and had the intention of carrying the slaves to Brazil, and this section may also have been influenced by other unnamed sources. Pedro de Rivera, writing in 1742 reported that the ship that was wrecked in 1650 "according to tradition" and that it was owned by"Lorenzo Gramalxo" (probably Lorenzo Gramajo, a prominent Portuguese merchant of Cartagena
).
(Straight-haired Miskito) by modern scholars such as Karl Offen. Over the course of the eighteenth century, the Miskito Zambo became dominant, and the office of king was in Zambo hands from the first decde of the century onward.
There are a number of later stories which recount the same sequence of events, though often with different details, and different possible dates. It is possible that these accounts are of separate shipwrecks, or that the same wreck was elaborated in later accounts through oral tradition.
The Miskito Sambu were aggressive, an early report of 1699 has them waging near constant war with their neighboring indigenous groups. The Spanish reported many raids directed against their holdings beginning in 1699 and continuing through most of the 18th century. The raids often carried off slaves, for use at home or for sale to English traders from Jamaica, who sent them to the island to work. English also supplied the Miskito Sambu with muskets and military training to assist in these raids. Raiding reached as far south as Costa Rica
and as far north as Yucatan
.
According to the French buccaneer Raveneau de Lussan
, who visited in 1688, the Zambos settled largely in the valley of the Wanks River (modern Rio Coco), and the report of the buccaneer M. W. in 1699, their settlements were concentrated in that river, and somewhat to the west along the coast of modern day Honduras almost as far as Trujillo
. By the early eighteenth century, the leader of the Sambu group had the Miskito title "General." At some point in the early eighteenth century, however, the Sambus took over the title of King, and the palace that was occupied by a Miskito king, Jeremy, in 1699, was now occupied by a "mulatto," also named Jeremy in 1711. From that point on, Sambus held the title of king.
The emergence of the Miskito Sambu gradually split the larger Miskito group in two; although the Sambu group was generally dominant and the most aggressive. Sambus held the northern titles of King and General, while the original Miskitos (sometimes called Tawira) held the titles of Governor and Admiral.
Honduras
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...
-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...
border. Modern ethnographic terminology uses the term "Miskito Sambu", older documents, beginning with Spanish ones of the early 18th century, refer to the group as "Mosquitos Zambos."
Origin
According to early accounts, slaves traveling on a slave ship revolted and took the ship over, but wrecked it near Cape Gracias a Dios, though they disagree on the impact the arrival of these Africans had on the local people, and how they were received. When Alexander Exquemelinthe first and earliest visitor (in c 1671) to the coast to describe the origins of the Miskito Sambu believed that the local people enslaved the Africans anew, while a slightly later account (1688) by the Sieur Raveneau de LussanRaveneau de Lussan
Raveneau de Lussan was a French buccaneer.He belonged to a noble but impoverished family, and embraced a military career at the age of 14. In 1679 he embarked for Santo Domingo in search of fortune, but was unsuccessful, and joined the buccaneers under Laurens de Graaf, sailing from Petit-Goâve,...
, thought that the local people received the Africans hospitably and married with them.
Sources written later still give different accounts. The bishop of Nicaragua, Benito Garret y Arlovi writing in 1711, but basing himself on reports by missionaries who worked in Nueva Segovia and Chontales as well as the testimony of an "ancient" former slave named Juan Ramón, said that the Africans violently overthrew their hosts, and intermarried with their women.
The date and circumstances of the shipwreck are also uncertain. Bishop Garret y Arlovi related that the ship wrecked in 1641, while an English buccaneer only known as M. W., writing in 1699 mentions two different dates in two different places: in one instance he places it as 50 years earlier (or 1649) while in another he places it 60 years earlier (1639), which might mean that his informants told him contradictory information, or that there were two shipwrecks.
According to Exquemelin's original account, the slaves took over the ship in a revolt and brought it to the coast, while the Spanish translation of the account, which may have had access to other sources, said the ship was carrying the slaves to "Tierra Firme" (Panama) and it wrecked on an island and the slaves swam ashore. The French translation adds that the ship was Portuguese and had the intention of carrying the slaves to Brazil, and this section may also have been influenced by other unnamed sources. Pedro de Rivera, writing in 1742 reported that the ship that was wrecked in 1650 "according to tradition" and that it was owned by"Lorenzo Gramalxo" (probably Lorenzo Gramajo, a prominent Portuguese merchant of Cartagena
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
).
Rise to Dominance
These mixed race descendants were usually called Mosquitos Zambos by the Spanish, while the others living more on the southern (Nicaraguan) region were less mixed and have been dubbed Tawira MiskitoTawira 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....
(Straight-haired Miskito) by modern scholars such as Karl Offen. Over the course of the eighteenth century, the Miskito Zambo became dominant, and the office of king was in Zambo hands from the first decde of the century onward.
There are a number of later stories which recount the same sequence of events, though often with different details, and different possible dates. It is possible that these accounts are of separate shipwrecks, or that the same wreck was elaborated in later accounts through oral tradition.
The Miskito Sambu were aggressive, an early report of 1699 has them waging near constant war with their neighboring indigenous groups. The Spanish reported many raids directed against their holdings beginning in 1699 and continuing through most of the 18th century. The raids often carried off slaves, for use at home or for sale to English traders from Jamaica, who sent them to the island to work. English also supplied the Miskito Sambu with muskets and military training to assist in these raids. Raiding reached as far south as Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
and as far north as Yucatan
Yucatán
Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....
.
According to the French buccaneer Raveneau de Lussan
Raveneau de Lussan
Raveneau de Lussan was a French buccaneer.He belonged to a noble but impoverished family, and embraced a military career at the age of 14. In 1679 he embarked for Santo Domingo in search of fortune, but was unsuccessful, and joined the buccaneers under Laurens de Graaf, sailing from Petit-Goâve,...
, who visited in 1688, the Zambos settled largely in the valley of the Wanks River (modern Rio Coco), and the report of the buccaneer M. W. in 1699, their settlements were concentrated in that river, and somewhat to the west along the coast of modern day Honduras almost as far as Trujillo
Trujillo, Colón
Trujillo is a city and a municipality on the northern Caribbean coast of the Honduran department of Colón, of which the city is the capital. The municipality has a population of about 30,000 . The city is located on a bluff overlooking the Bay of Trujillo. Behind the city rise two prominent...
. By the early eighteenth century, the leader of the Sambu group had the Miskito title "General." At some point in the early eighteenth century, however, the Sambus took over the title of King, and the palace that was occupied by a Miskito king, Jeremy, in 1699, was now occupied by a "mulatto," also named Jeremy in 1711. From that point on, Sambus held the title of king.
The emergence of the Miskito Sambu gradually split the larger Miskito group in two; although the Sambu group was generally dominant and the most aggressive. Sambus held the northern titles of King and General, while the original Miskitos (sometimes called Tawira) held the titles of Governor and Admiral.