From Colonial Marines to Caribbean Pioneers: The Merikins of Trinidad

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Caribbean American Heritage Month invites us to explore the rich tapestry of identities that shape our diaspora experience. In this episode, we uncover the fascinating yet often overlooked story of "The Merikins" – formerly enslaved Black people who joined British forces during the War of 1812 and later established thriving communities in southern Trinidad. After gaining their freedom through military service, these remarkable individuals received land grants from the British in 1815-1816. In Trinidad, they built productive agricultural settlements, but their contribution extends far beyond farming. They maintained powerful cultural and religious traditions that are still recognized today.

Discover more about this remarkable chapter in Caribbean history with us. And while you celebrate Caribbean American Heritage Month, don't forget to check out our first-ever merch drop, curated playlist, and reading list on our website!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Strictly Facts, a guide to Caribbean
history and culture hosted by me, alexandria Miller.
Strictly Facts teaches thehistory, politics and activism
of the Caribbean and connectsthese themes to contemporary
music and popular culture.
Hello everyone, welcome back toanother episode of Strictly

(00:22):
Facts, a guide to Caribbeanhistory and culture, your
favorite space for deep divesinto Caribbean history, untold
stories and cultural connection.
I'm your host, alexandriaMiller, and I couldn't be more
excited to be back with you foranother episode, especially
during this very special time ofyear.
It's June, which means it'sofficially Caribbean American

(00:43):
Heritage Month.
Every June, I find myselfreflecting not only on where
we've come from, but how farwe've come.
It's a moment to honor ourancestors, celebrate our
creativity and uplift thestories of our people that often
go untold, stories that areglobal, resilient and powerful.
For those of us in the diaspora, caribbean American Heritage

(01:06):
Month is even more important andimpactful because when you're
away from home, whether you'reone generation or five
generations removed, culturalgrounding becomes essential.
It's how we stay connected,it's how we preserve memory and
it's how we resist erasure.
This month, it's about us.
It's about our languages, ourmusic, our migration journeys,

(01:30):
our food, our resistance, ourjoy, our grief, even all of it.
So, whether you're Jamaican inthe Bronx, trinidadian in
Toronto or Haitian in Miami,this celebration is for you.
Me, this celebration is for you.
Now I've got some exciting newsbefore we get into today's
episode.
To help us mark this year'sCaribbean American Heritage

(01:54):
Month, we've officially launchedour first ever merch drop.
That's right.
You can support Strictly Factsand rep your Caribbean pride
with our very first item.
It's something I've poured alot of time and thought into,
and so I really hope you alllike it and support.
If you're able, you can find iton our website,
shopstrictlyfactspodcom, as wellas in our link tree and our

(02:17):
bios and everything.
And while you're there, makesure to check out the Strictly
Facts Caribbean AmericanHeritage Month 2025 playlist
featuring music from across thediaspora.
Expect everything fromconscious reggae to sweet salsa
a little bit of something foreveryone and something that
honors all of the tremendousfigures highlighted on our merch

(02:39):
.
We've also created a readinglist with works on and by
Caribbean scholars, activists,about their lives and experience
, for your summertime readingpleasure.
These are books that have movedme, taught me and grounded my
own cultural journey, and I hopethey'll do the same for you.
Okay, so now that we've handledbusiness.

(03:00):
Let's get into today's topicbusiness.
Let's get into today's topic.
Today we're taking a closer lookinto the remarkable yet often
overlooked group in Trinidadianand Caribbean history the
Americans.
If you had a moment to listento our last episode, you might
remember Matthew Taylor and Ibriefly talking about the
Americans and their arrival toTrinidad following the War of

(03:22):
1812.
They were formerly enslavedBlack people in the US who had
joined the British ColonialMarines fighting against the US
in exchange for their freedom.
When the war ended, the Britishhonored their promise and
offered them land in southernTrinidad.
Now, in today's episode, we'rediving a little bit deeper into

(03:43):
what happened after theirarrival.
How did these free BlackAmericans adapt to a Caribbean
island?
How did they build their livesand how have their contributions
shaped modern Trinidad?
For this noteworthy take onwhat it means to be both
Caribbean and American.
For Caribbean American HeritageMonth.

(04:06):
As we noted in our last episode,the Americans arrived in
Trinidad in 1815 and 1816 andwere settled in the thick
forested lands of the south.
The British colonial officedivided them into six military
companies based on their servicestructure during the war, and
each company was assigned itsown village, from the first

(04:27):
company village to the sixthcompany, the largest group of
Americans were granted 16 acresof land, which was a
revolutionary concept at thetime.
Remember, these were people whohad not just recently gained
their freedom, but some of whomhad never even owned anything
likely.
And they were now not only freebut also had land not just for

(04:50):
their survival but for legacy aswell.
And they used that land theirsurvival before legacy as well.
And they used that land.
The Americans were well knownfor their farming skills growing
cocoa, coffee, rice, cassavaand ground provisions.
Over time they became vital tothe agricultural economy of
southern Trinidad.
But what's equally powerful ishow they maintained their

(05:11):
identity.
They brought with them strongreligious traditions.
How they maintained theiridentity they brought with them
strong religious traditions,especially rooted in Black
American Baptist practices.
Their worship involvedspiritual procession, singing,
clapping, drumming, call andresponse, which is not
necessarily new to the regionbut, of course, in their own

(05:31):
practices and tradition.
This all went on to form andevolve into the spiritual
Baptist faith in Trinidad.
Despite colonial attempts tosuppress their religion, most
notably with the ShoutersProhibition Ordinance in 1917,
the Americans and theirdescendants continued to
practice in secret, passing onoral traditions, songs and

(05:53):
sacred knowledge.
And here's where the legacygets even deeper.
One of the most influentialAmerican descendant figures is
Althea McNish, a pioneeringBlack British textile designer
who left an indelible mark on20th century fashion and design.
Born in Port of Spain in 1924,mcnish traced her ancestry

(06:16):
directly back to Americancommunities.
She migrated to the UK in the1950s and became the first Black
British textile designer togain international recognition,
creating vibrantCaribbean-inspired fabrics for
many fashion houses and clientslike the Liberty of London, dior
and the Royal Family.

(06:37):
Her bold use of color andtropical motifs brought a
distinctly Caribbean aestheticinto post-war British design,
challenging Eurocentric normsand making space for Black
creativity on the global stage.
Magnet's legacy is a powerfulreminder that the American story

(06:58):
extends far beyond Trinidad.
It lives on in the globalimpact of their descendants.
You all know I am one for thebooks and the resources that we
can learn more, and I think thisstory of Althea Magnitia's life
really comes to fore when wethink of one particular book

(07:18):
that I think everybody shouldcheck out the Americans Free
Black Settlers in Trinidad 1815to 1816, by John Weiss, who I
believe was Althea's husband foralmost 50 years before their
passing.
It is a must-read if you'reinterested in the broader
historical context.
It uses British archives,land-grant records and oral

(07:41):
testimony to piece together theAmerican story in incredible
detail.
Furthermore, americandescendants have done an
incredible job of preservingtheir unique history.
Many still live in the originalcompany villages.
Families pass down the land,the stories and the traditions.
Trinidadian cultural workers,historians and artists have all

(08:05):
contributed to preservingAmerican memory, including
Althea McNish's own family, whofounded the American Commission
in 2015 to keep the Americanhistory alive.
There is also a beautifulseries by the National Archives
of Trinidad and Tobago, theNational Library of Information
System Authority and theNational Gas Company of Trinidad

(08:29):
and Tobago, which interviewsmodern day descendants about
their ancestors' journeys andhow they are keeping the
American spirit alive today.
So of course, I will link thatin our show notes as well as on
our website for you all to checkout.
Though I wasn't able to get intouch with one of the American
descendants in time for thisrecording, I am hopeful we'll be

(08:52):
able to learn more from theirstory on Strictly Facts soon.
The story of the Americansreminds us that Caribbean
history is not a monolith.
We're not just descendants ofenslaved people who arrived
directly from the continent.
We are also the children ofrebels, soldiers, farmers,
preachers and pioneers who'vecome from different parts of the

(09:13):
world.
The Americans brought a uniqueblend of Black American Southern
culture, christian faith andmilitary discipline to the
Caribbean and made it their own.
Their journey tells ussomething powerful about
identity, adaptation andresistance.
Even in the midst ofdislocation and trauma, they

(09:33):
created community, they plantedroots and they passed on a
legacy.
So, as we continue to celebrateCaribbean American Heritage
Month, I encourage you toremember diversity of our
communities, like the Americans,and our resilience.
Look them up, read about them,share their story, because our

(09:54):
history lives on in carnival, incuisine, but as well as in the
prayers, protests andpreservation of who we are.
Thank you so much for spending abit of time as we continue to
celebrate Caribbean AmericanHeritage Month.
If you've learned something new, I'd love it, if you share this
episode with someone who mightappreciate it.
And don't forget to check outour merch playlist and reading

(10:18):
list, all available onstrictlyfactspodcom.
And if you're enjoying ourexploration of Caribbean
military history and itsoffshoots, like this episode on
the Americans, tag us on socialat strictlyfactspod or send us a
voice note.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Until next time, keep learning,keep reflecting and, as always,

(10:41):
keep honoring our Caribbeanhistory Lickle more.
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