English on the Samana Peninsula

[Ken]

Ihtown, I have taken the liberty of starting a new thread with your question about English being spoken on the Samana Peninsula, rather than hijack NoMoreSnow's thread before she gets her question answered. Doing your question as a separate thread is better for her and for you.

English is spoken, but it is not the primary language and there are many, especially younger people, who do not speak English. Also, there are now many living in Samana that not descendents from the freed slaves that settled there.

At one time it was the primary language, but Trujillo ended that when he was in power. But there are rural communities which use English as their primary language.

The local English, that has been passed down in families, is not the latest American English. In fact, some people speak English that is difficult to understand. Over the years, they have given their own twist to the language. and what was passed down is based on how their freed-slave forefathers spoke English. But then there are also well educated people who speak English.

Don't go to Samana expecting everyone to speak English, because that is not the case.

I lived in Samana from 1986-2000, and still have a strong interest even though now living in Sosua.

 

[NoMoreSnow]

Ken ...

am interested in learning more about this ... hope you will indulge me.

Were these "free slaves" primarily Black people from Africa and are there primarily Black people in this region to-day? or any other region in the DR?

Would you know where they came from ie other Caribbean islands or the USA south?

thanks
NMS

 

[Ken]

NMS,

A quick response now but we can discuss it more if you are interested.

A large number of freed and/or escaped slaves were brought to the DR from Philadelphia in 1824-25. Settlements were set up in several places, but Samana, where several hundred went, was the most successful. One of the main reasons they came to the DR was because President Boyer of Haiti, then the ruler of the entire island, wanted to colonize unpopulated areas with industrious black people.

Most of the black Americans died due to illness or became disallusioned by the religious practices by the Haitians and returned to the US. But the settlement in Samana prospered because they maintained their identity. English was their language, Protestant was their religion, they had their own schools and churches, and they intermarried.

After that, other black people made their way to the DR and Samana from English islands of the Caribbean.

Yes, there is a large percentage of black people in Samana today; many of whom have names like Barret, Willmore, King and Green. But, though some descendents have married others, there has been a lot of assimilation.

English no longer the primary language, in fact many growing up refused to learn from their parents because they didn't want to "be different". Most regret this decision today, now that job prospects better if bilingual. Another major factor was the decree by Trujillo that Spanish had to be spoken in Samana.

But there is still a high percentage of people in Samana who are Protestant.

Thus ends Samana 101.

Ken

 

[Jane J.]

d

 

[NoMoreSnow]

Thanks Ken ....

I will definately be visiting this region ...

 

[lhtown]

Thanks Ken, that was a most interesting account. We haven't been to Samana yet, but plan to go within the next year.

 

[Tom F.]

Nice account of history

The version which floats around the Peace Corps volunteers is that the ships were trying to return to Africa and were shipwrecked off of Samana and stayed. It never made sense because it was before the Marcus Garvey movement and even before Monrvia, Liberia was established.

 

[Ken]

Have heard that rumor. That's all it is.

Ofen wondered why the Peace Corps didn't publish a little history book for volunteers stationed in the Samana area.

 

[Tgf]

Ask Hillbilly, he'll know...

As I recall Hillbilly did some linguistic fieldwork in Samana back in the 1960s (?). He once gave a pretty detailed post about the freed slaves of Samana and knew about the origins of the English-speaking population. I'm sure he would be delighted to answer your questions.

 

[Ken]

Thanks, will call on him if I need help. But I did a lot of investigating during the many years I lived in Samana. Think I can handle the sort of questions that will be asked on dr1

 

[Hillbilly]

The only thing I can add is

that the same movement that founded Monrovia, Liberia was the same one that had the slaves purchased in the area around Washington, D.C. (Thereby giving us "Noroeste and Bethesda" two suburbs of Saman?)

The American Colonization Society and its ties to Philadelphia as port of departure is well documented, as is Peter VanderHorst...

I am afraid that the English of Saman? is practically lost for linguistic study, since there doesn't seem to be sufficient funding for really detailed studies...

HB