History of Jamaica

The Tiano people were the first known people living in Jamaica, before Christopher Columbus landed on their soil, in 1494. The Spanish conquered Jamaica, driving the Taino people off the land, leaving no survivors. 1655 the Spanish were driven out by the British, and formerly known as so in 1670. The British brought enslaved African people with them, having them work on sugar plantations. Slaves that escaped, also called Maroons, defended their homes from the British and in 1739 a treaty was signed for the Maroons to self-govern themselves. Slavery officially ended in 1832 but not the injustice. A rebellion against the British caught fire on Morant Bay, 1865. The British government quickly retaliated, killing 900 people. In the 1930s a depression shook the land due to an increase in population and disease in the banana crop. In 1958 Jamaica joined the British Caribbean colonies (later Federation of the West Indies) but then withdrew in 1961 to become independent, becoming so in 1962. In this time the government's two main parties were formed, the People's National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). Alexander Bustamante, founder of the JLP, was the first prime minister and the independent country started from there. In 1976 street violence and gang warfare erupted, making the government call a state of emergency for 6 months. Violence again started up in 1979. Today there is still much violence in Jamaica but the rate has gone down in the last couple of years. 

Although there is a mix of ethnicities in Jamaica, most people are either black or have black ancestry. This is because in 1655 when the British drove out the Spanish they brought slavery with them. African people were brought from their homeland to Jamaica to do others’ bidding, and the enslaved largely outnumbered the number of slave owners. This is why there is such a huge population of African people there. There is also little to none Indigenous people left living in Jamaica, because when the Spanish landed they wiped out the Tiano civilization with most of the Tainos’ culture in 1494. Overall the history of Jamaica, in its triumphs and faults, has changed the country to what it is today.