This is the true account of events as corroborated by Zora Neale Hurston.
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"Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) was a globetrotting female investigator and in her book 'Tell My Horse' talks about the Maroons of Jamaica and their Fanti heritage."
Prince Naquan was a Fanti Prince born into the Royal House of Kormantsi around 1620. In his teenage years as custom demands in Fantiland that all royals undergo rigorous military training known as Asafo companies, he was hell-bent on learning the ways of his ancestors. Hence, establishing himself as a fierce warrior.
Due to the numerous wars, Fantis had already built solid fortifications at the coast which were impenetrable. However, they needed copper for shield despite the tons of gold available. it must be noted that the first people to engage in serious trading with the whites where Fantis were acting as middlemen.
When goods such as gold, silver, and precious minerals were brought to the coast, they purchased the goods and supplied them to the whites at an exorbitant price making them wealthy businessmen. He started trading with the Spanish much to the displeasure of his family who had warned him about the treacherous nature of these white folks.
Prince Naquan was young and vibrant. His youthful exuberance and naivety led to his captivity. Despite his family thought that his trading with the Spanish was a bad idea, he wanted to prove them wrong. The Fante traded with the Spanish for a very long time because they had a ton of gold that wasn’t important to them. After all, it didn’t protect them in battle.
They wanted copper for shields. The Spanish asked him to get his men together to go to the New World so they could get their copper and set up their outpost. Naquan was lured to Jamaica by the Spanish whom he was already trading with frequently (gold for copper). He only brought men—80 strapping men that the Spanish approved for carrying the copper (aka being slaves). He was a teenager—possibly not even 18 In 1640. When the trip on the boats seemed too long, Naquan led a revolt that was squashed by the Spanish, and these Fantes were enslaved.
They fought but it didn’t work so Naquan made it seem like they gave up. They pretended to submit for a while as Naquan advised his fellow Fantes to work as slaves so they could buy themselves some time to become more organized. They later then revolted and took off for the Blue Mountains where they were aided by Arawak natives and other slaves that escaped.
He had a lot of children since he was a teenager when he arrived namely; five brothers, Cudjoe (Kojo), Accompong, Johnny, Cuffee (Kofi), and Quao (Kwaw), and one sister, Nanny. Nanny was one of his youngest.
Since the Fante only came with men and she’s depicted as fair-skinned, it’s most likely that her mother was an Arawak or even mixed with Spanish. He was killed in battle in 1690. Nanny and her older brothers are on record as being alive for the treaty in 1740. There isn’t a way for her to have been born in Fante/Ghana.
Below is the video on YouTube as narrated by the great-grandson of Prince Naquan.
https://youtu.be/cS5Od6V8AG0?si=HiqhYB_584UDQNxC
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