Alianzas atlánticas en Armas Antárticas: corsarios y cimarrones en la obra de Juan de Miramontes y Zuázola

• Published in: Nuevo mundo mundos nuevos
• Main Author: Marta Hidalgo Pérez
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; French; Portuguese
• Published: Centre de Recherches sur les Mondes Américains 2018
• Subjects: Armas Antárticas; maroonage; corsairs; Panama; 16th century; Anthropology; GN1-890; Latin America. Spanish America; F1201-3799; Pacific; Tierra Firme; antartic*
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.4000/nuevomundo.71927; https://doaj.org/article/469baeb67c504f1c90c1bcdcd8be38d8

With the discovery of the isthmian way connecting the North Sea – Atlantic ocean – with the South Sea – Pacific ocean – the Isthmus of Panama became the most strategic point of the Spanish Crown in the New World during the 16th century. The different monarchies of the old continent sent corsairs to Tierra Firme in order to steal the American treasure that crossed that land and, therefore, to weaken the Spanish power. However, the English corsairs did not attack alone. They had the maroons – runaway slaves – of the area as perfect allies. Regarding this story, not only can we find official documents of the Archivo General de Indias of Seville, but also Juan de Miramontes y Zuázola, a Spanish soldier in America, wrote about it in Armas Antarticas, an epic poem.The aim of this article is to show how Literature can be used as a historical source to study the actual territory of Panama during the colonial era and how the alliance between maroons and corsairs during the second half of the 16th century in the isthmus became a relevant Atlantic issue.