Leapers' Hill

Leapers' Hill (also known as Le Morne de Sauteurs and Carib’s Leap) is a historic site near Sauteurs, Grenada, where a band of forty Kalinago (the indigenous inhabitants of Grenada) jumped to their death to avoid capture by the French colonists.[1][2][3]

History

In 1649 the first colony on the island of Grenada was established by Du Parquet, the following year Du Parquet bought the island from the Compagnie des Isles d’Amérique (French West Indian company). The French were treated favourably by the Kalinago under their King Kaïrouane, who signed a peace treaty with the French. However soon after the Kalinago realised that the French were not to be staying temporarily but permanently, this resulted in Kalinago attacks on the French colonists.

On the 30th of May 1650[4][3] (or 1651)[5] the French were informed of the Kalinago camp by a Kalinago man by the name of Thomas, who had joined the French side allegedly due to being rejected by Chief Duquesne’s daughter.[3] The French then pursued the Kalinago to the northernmost edge of the island. About forty Kalinago survivors including Kaïrouane[6] made it to Leapers' Hill and with no other choice they jumped off, falling into the waters below.[7][8][1]

The event at Leapers' Hill was a turning point in the colonisation of the island of Grenada, the remaining Kalinago lived in isolated groups and eventually mixed in with the main black population. The French had cleansed the island of most of the Kalinago and the Kalinago culture.

Modern Site

On the site is a small cross-shaped monument[5] and there was also a museum on the site which has since closed, however the Grenada National trust is planning on reopening the site and having it as a tourist and educational attraction on the island.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b La Grenade-Lashley, Marise (2016). Mwen Ka Alé [“I am going”]. Aventine Press. pp. 3–7. ISBN 978-1-59330-903-9.
  2. ^ Grenada, N. O. W. (2017-06-09). "The Monument at Leapers Hill Is an Insult to Kalinago Heritage | NOW Grenada". Retrieved 2025-12-14.
  3. ^ a b c Grenada, N. O. W. (2022-05-30). "This Day in History: 30 May 1650 | NOW Grenada". Retrieved 2025-12-14.
  4. ^ a b GrenadaNT (2013-05-06). "Trust pushes for Leapers Hill to be protected - Grenada National Trust". Retrieved 2025-12-14.
  5. ^ a b "Caribs Leap". tripbucket.com. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
  6. ^ "Leapers Hill, St. George's, Caribbean - Reviews, Ratings, Tips and Why You Should Go". Wanderlog. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
  7. ^ "Copy of Lesson plan - Basic.docx". www.grenadaarchaeology.com. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
  8. ^ "Caribs Leap". www.guidetocaribbeanvacations.com. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.