Category:History of Jamaica

From Jamaica Wiki

Jamaica has been inhabited since 1,000BC. Tainos from South America had settled in the island and called it Xamayca, meaning land of wood and water.

Upon its discovery by Christopher Columbus in 1494 the island was claimed for Spain. Spanish began occupation in 1509 and named the island Santiago. The native population was quicly exterminated by disease, slavery and war. Although Spain tried to colonize the island they never really did this.

England claimed the island in a raid and managed to hold it despite Spanish attempts to reclaim it. All started in May 1655 when the British forces formed a joint expedition by Admiral Sir William Penn and General Robert Venables. In 1657 the Governor invited buccaneers to base themselves at Port Royal to deter Spanish aggression. In 1657 and 1658 the Spanish tried to reclaim the island unsuccessfully.

The British started colonizing the island in 1661. Still part of Jamaica was in the hands of the Maroons with whom they signed a treaty on 1 March 1738. The former Spanish capital, Villa de la Vega remained. The English remained it to Spanish Town and kept it as the island's capital. However the town that took the capital functions was Port Royal.

After Port Royal was destroyed in an earthquake in 1692 Kingston was founded. It quickly turned into a thriving city and became the major commercial centre of the island and in 1872 became the capital of Jamaica.

The cultivation of sugar cane and coffee by African slaves made Jamaica one of the most valuable colonies of England. The slaves outnumbered their masters and slave conspiracies were formed between 1673 and 1832. Escaped slaves, known as Maroons established independent communities in the mountains. British were unable to defeat them.

During the Christmas holiday of 1831, a large scale slave revolt broke. The revolt was unsuccessful. However the damage over the English colonizers was great. As a result the British Parliament abolished slavery in 1834 throughout the British Empire.

In 1865 another revolt took place. It was led by George William Gordon and Paul Bogle. Again the rebellions were repressed. It was brutally repressed.

There were several revolts during the years to come, all repressed by the English. Jamaica managed to gain independence on August 6, 1962. The first prime minister was Alexander Bustamante.