Jamaica History: Story of Pride and Determination

Jamaica history is as colorful as it is fascinating. Its a history of Spanish explorers and colonial masters; Of Caribbean pirates and rebellious African slaves. Mostly though, its the story of a proud people with a spirit and determination to struggle, fight, and persevere for what they want. Through colonization and slavery; emacipation, rebellions, and independence, Jamaica history has helped shape one of the most diverse people and vibrant culture in the world.

Discovery - Columbus and the Spaniards

In 1494 a Spanish explorer named Christopher Columbus landed on the shore of Jamaica at a place now called Discovery Bay. He was so awe struck by the beauty of the Island that he exclaimed "Jamaica, the fairest land eyes have beheld; mountains and the land seem to touch the sky." He called the Island Xaymaca from the Indian word meaning "Land of wood and Water" and this began the History of Jamaica.

But Columbus and his Spanish navigators were not the first people in Jamaica. When they arrived, they found the Island occupied by a peaceful Arawak Indian tribe called the Tainos. But History was not kind to the Tainos. In a very short period of time, their entire population of around 100,000, was wiped out - mainly due to forced labor and diseases such as smallpox to which they had no immunity.

The Spanish established a base in New Seville near Ocho Rios in 1509 and introduced sugar cane and other domestic crops to the Island. They brought slaves from the West coast of Africa to help cultivate these local crops since the Tainos were all dead by then.

The Spaniards never really had any plan to colonized Jamaica. In fact the only reason they stayed was because they thought the Island had plenty of gold. By the early 1500s, having found no gold, they viewed Jamaica more of a burden than a benefit. Rather than leave, however, they used the Island as a base for their conquest of Cuba and the American main land. Their legacy on history of Jamaica, however, remained in vast number of places with Spanish name such as Ocho Rios, St Jago de la Vega, and Port Antonio.

Colonization, the British, and sugar trade

It didn't take long for the ever expanding British empire to set their sight on Jamaica. In 1655 they captured Jamaica from the Spanish and transformed the Island into one of the largest sugar plantations. British colonization and the sugar trade were the two events that have the most profound effect on the history of Jamaica. Sugar by then was big business. As the sugar plantations expanded, they not only needed more laborers to cultivate, but people to manage the plantations.

To satisfy this demand for labor, more slaves were shipped in from Africa, the Germans were brought in as plantation managers, and the Irish were imported as paid laborers. Very soon, Jamaica was a thriving British colony with heavy trading taking place between the Island and the mother land.

The Buccaneers - Pirates of the Caribbean

By the 1650's the Spanish, French, British, and Dutch were all fighting over territories in the Caribbean. The British brought a bunch of outlaws to the Jamaica for the sole purpose of attacking Spanish and French colonies and ships. This group of outlaws were called the Buccaneers. They were led by a legendary fighter named Henry Morgan and operated out of their base in Port Royal on the other side of the Kingston Harbor.

The Buccaneers was both feared and brutal. They attacked many Spanish ships and colonies and took their stolen treasure back to Jamaica. Before long, Port Royal became known as "the richest and wickedest city in Christendom". The Buccaneers were very important in shaping Jamaica history. Without them, Jamaica, today, would probably be a Spanish speaking country.

In 1662, Word had gotten out that the Spaniards were planning an attack on Jamaica from Cuba. The British troops at the time, were tied up fighting the Dutch in the Southern Caribbean. Short on men, the British recuited the Buccaneers for a surpised attack on Cuba. The attack was so successful that the Buccaneers were asked to lead more successful attacks on Cuba, Venezuela, and Panama.

After his conquests of Cuba, Venezuela, and Panama, Henry Morgan became so famous that he was promoted to Lieutenant Govenor of Jamaica. But God must not have looked kindly on the wickedness of the Henry Morgan nor Buccaneers. In 1692, Port Royal was distroyed by a massive earthquake that buried it, along with its vast wealth, below the sea.

The Maroons - rebellious saves

Not everything went well for the British. When the Spanish fled Jamaica, they released their slaves with the sole intention for them to harass the British. These slaves were called the Maroons, from the Spanish word Cimarron meaning "wild" and "untamed". The Maroons fled to the mountains and remote areas of the Island where they were regularly joined by other slaves that escaped the British. These band of slaves fought and harassed the British for more than 80 years.

Initally, the British tried to reenslave the Maroons. But the Maroons were fierce, proud, and well adapted to the rugged terrains of the Blue Mountains and Cockpit Country. They were very good at camoflauge and were very successful in staging frequent surpise attacks on the plantations, stealing both foods and weapons in the process. So effective were their strategy that, in 1738, the British were forced to sign peace treaty giving the Maroons self government and local control of the territories they occupied in the mountains and the Cockpit Country.

Jamaica history would not be the same without the Maroons. They discovered and perfected Jamaica's legendary jerk cusine. They still maintained their autonomy and traditions in modern Jamaica and have riturals that remains a secret to those outside the Maroon settlements.

The Slave trade, abolision, and Emacipation

By the 1750's, sugar was one of the most lucrative business. They made their owners very rich, so much so that they use to say in England "As rich as a West Indian planter". Of course, without slaves there would be no sugar. So as sugar florished, so did the slave trade. But there were many, especially in the church, who questioned the morality of slavery from a humanitarian point of view.

By the late 1700's, there were strong objections to slavery and many were calling for the abolision of slavery. In 1808 the British passed laws that abolished slavery, however, many plantation owners continued to used slaves. It wasn't until 1838 before slavery was fully abolished and all slaves set free. And this happened only after many rebellions in which many of the plantations were set on fire - resulting in considerable lost to the plantation owners.

The people who came: A history of Diversity

With slave labor no longer available, the plantation owners were finding it extremely difficult to maintain their sugar crops. Desperate to survive they were forced to turn to indentured servants from India and China.

By mid 1840s thousands of Indian and Chinese immigrants were working on the plantations along side free slaves who were now being paid. These were soon followed by Jewish settlers and Arab traders from palestine. These new immigrants along with the British, Germans, and Irish were the ingredients history supplied to Jamaica current racial diversity.

On a social level, there were many mix marriages and cross breeding between the many races and ethnic groups. By the mid 1940's Jamaica was a racially mix hue of different colors and faces - one of the first true melting pot and ethnic stew of many races. This would become the basis for our national motto, "Out of Many, One People".

Modern Jamaica takes shape

By the mid 1920's, Jamaica's new economic infrastructure had started to mature and grow, but the remnants of slavery remained. The British were placed in charge of running the government. The Germans and Irish were given jobs as teachers, nurses, and policemen. The Mulattos - the cross breeding between Europeans and slaves, got the white collar jobs in the offices and banks. The blacks, however, continued to work on the sugar, banana, and coffee plantations or worked as domestic helpers for the plantation owners and rich upper class whites that ran the country.

The remainder of the 1800's and the early 1900's were very rough economical and political times in Jamaica. There was a big decline in the importance of sugar to Jamaica and the rise of the Banana and coffee crops. Meanwhile the freed slaves were demanding better wages and living conditions from the British. Rebellions and uprising were common. The British were forced to establish better local goverment and institutions such as schools, hospitals, and banks and the modern Jamaican econony began to take shape.

The road to independence and beyond

By the mid 1930's, Jamaica was no longer that important to England. After world war II, Jamaicans began demanding more autonomy in running their own country and England was all too happy to oblige. By the early 1950's Jamaica was being fully self governed and the demand for independence grew. On August 6, 1962, Jamaica was granted their independence from the British. This ushered in a modern era for Jamaica economy and politics and a major turning point in the history of Jamaica.

After independence, Jamaica slowly shifted it's dependence on sugar and agriculture to that of bauxite and tourism. I was born in 1959 and as a boy growing up, was surrounded by sugar. In fact, by age ten, I was helping harvest sugar cane my father cultivated. Today, you have to go into the remote areas of Jamaica to see any vast quantities of sugar, banana, or coffee crop.

Since her independence, Jamaica have struggled, grown, and somewhat prospered. Today she is a shining example of economic and political stability in the Caribbean and central America. Her history has created a people so unique, strong, and proud and a culture so vibrant that today Jamaica is one of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean.

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