Coromantee
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 Jamaica
|
|
| Languages | |
| Current Jamaican English, Jamaican Patois, Maroon Spirit language Historical Akan, Twi |
|
| Religion | |
| (originally)Kumfu, Obeah (presently)Christianity and Revival | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Akan, Ashanti, Jamaicans of African descent |
Coromantee, Coromantins, Coromanti or Kormantine (derived from the name of the Ghanaian slave fort of Fort Kormantine in Koromanti, Ghana) was the English name originally given to Ashanti slaves in Jamaica, but became synonymous for all Akan groups from the Gold Coast or modern-day Ghana. The term Coromantee is now considered archaic as it simply refers to Akan people, and was primarily used in the Caribbean.
Coromantins actually came from several Akan ethnic groups and were sent to separate European colonies in the Caribbean based on their alliance with Europeans back in the Gold Coast – Asante (or Ashanti) being opposed the Fante (Fanti) and the British were shipped to Jamaica and Barbados; the Fante, being opposed to the Asante and the Dutch, were sent to the Guianas, etc. as war and kidnapped captives, respectively. Owing to their militaristic background and common Akan language, Coromantins organized dozens of slave rebellions in Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean. Their fierce, rebellious nature became so notorious among white plantation owners in the 18th century that an Act was proposed to ban the importation of people from the Gold Coast, despite their reputation as strong workers.
The Asante had the single largest African cultural influence on Jamaica, both on the Jamaican Maroons and the larger non-maroon population, whose culture and language was seen as a derivation of Asante-Twi. Names of some notable Coromantee leaders — such as Cudjoe, Cuffy, and Quamina — correspond to Akan day names Kojo, Kwame, Kofi, and Kwamina, respectively. A large amount of the slave population also had Akan day names, as the name "Quashee" (a distortion of "Kwasi") was the British planters' way of implying the Asante majority. The word became the Jamaican British term to mean "black person or slave"; similarly, a white individual was called "obroni" (Twi: white person) by the slave populace. The term is still used and is considered a slur.
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