Jamaica, known today as a beautiful Caribbean getaway, has hundreds of years of history, culture, and intrigue. Jamaica is more than a tropical island paradise, separated into fourteen parishes that have been populated, fought over, and settled by many different nations throughout the years. The natives, called Ariwalk and Taino of South America made their homes on the island between 4000 and 1000 BC, and lived there up until the point that the English took control of the area.

Jamaica was “found” to have a heavily populated southern coast and over 200 villages by Christopher Columbus in 1494, but was first settled by the Spanish in 1509. The first settlement, called Seville, is located west of St. Anne’s Bay. This settlement was only used for about fifteen years and then moved to St. Jago de la Vega – also known as Spanish Town, due to a concern that the first city offered residents unhealthy living conditions. For over one hundred years, the Spanish enjoyed ruling Jamaica, but in 1655, the English took over the Spanish forts.

Spanish residents that feared for their lives fled the towns and cities, but freed their slaves before doing so. These freed people ran for the mountains and began living with the Taino people that had done the same when the Spanish conquered them years earlier. Five years after this transition of power, the population of Jamaica was 75% white, but within a decade, the numbers had shifted, making the island’s white population the minority. During these first years of English rule, Jamaica became a ht spot for pirates including famous names like Henry Morgan and Edward Mansvelt, but also for buccaneers and privateers – some would even abandon their raiding parties and stay on the island due to the absolute beauty of it.

Despite the pirates, British rule turned Jamaica into a profitable, but slave dependent nation. The slave population increased so dramatically that by the beginning of the 19th century, white colonists were outnumbered 20 to 1 by black slaves. These slaves helped Jamaica establish itself as one of the world’s leading nations in sugar exportation, producing 77,000 tons per year. Jamaica also became known for its coffee bean production during this time. Though there were a few slave uprisings, the “free people of color” helped the white population keep the slaves in line, but when it no longer was enough, the issue of slavery was discussed and then ruled on.

When the slave trade was abolished in 1834, Chinese and Indian indentured servants were brought to the island to ensure that production did not decrease. As the number of freed slaves increased, so did the uprisings, and the sugar production became less important to Jamaica. The focus switched to bananas in the late 19th century, before Jamaica became a crown colony, and the legislature gave up its powers in 1866. Spanish Town was no longer regarded as the capital, and it was moved instead to Kingston in 1872. This large port city had become much more sophisticated and populated than the previous capital.

The late 1880′s brought another change to Jamaica – islanders were given the right to elect their own legislative council. This led to the Crown Colony Rule – more growth in the middle class, especially police officers and public officials that represented a portion of the population that was being oppressed by the highest of colonial authority. For nearly fifty years, Jamaica went on, but the Great Depression changed things for the island, too. Revolts by dock workers caused the creation of both competitive party government, and an organization in the labor force.

Finally, in 1938, the People’s National Party was formed, and five years later, it was followed by the Jamaica Labour Party. Jamaica’s first national election took place in 1944, and Jamaica kept the political ball rolling by joining the Federation of the West Indies in 1958. This union didn’t last long, as Jamaica withdrew in 1961 when the voters rejected the membership. Shortly after this severing of ties, Jamaica became totally independent on August 6, 1962 – almost five hundred years after it was first settled by the Spanish. Still a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, Jamaica’s first prime minister was Alexander Bustamante of the JLP. In the initial years, Jamaican power switched between parties, but the PNP did not take power for a decade.

Power moved back and for the next few elected terms, but as closer ties with the USA were formed, Jamaican leaders found their stride, and have managed to peacefully lead their people through the times.
Although emigration from Jamaica continues to be steady, due to the state of the country’s economy, Jamaica is still a strong nation with citizens that have fought to be in their current positions. Jamaican people began as nothing more than immigrants themselves, and have, over the course of 500 years, established their place in the world and its workings.
Other websites you maybe interested in:

Leave a Reply