Jamaica history
At present, Jamaica is undoubtedly one of most
preferred holiday destinations
for numerous travelers. The
visitors seem to be captivated
by the unique culture, rich
history and warm and inviting
weather. If you take a brief
look at the Jamaica history this
would prove to be very
enlightening, regardless of
whether you want to take a trip
to the island later this year or
perhaps in the foreseeable
future.
The inhabitants before the Spanish
The island of Jamaica was
occupied by the Tainos, also
referred to as the Arawaks for
several decades, prior to the
arrival of Christopher Columbus.
These people existed in little
communities and had a simple
lifestyle primarily based on
hunting, fishing and the
cultivation of crops on a small
scale. The appearance of the
Spanish exposed the island to
the rest of the world and this
resulted in economic ventures.
But, unfortunately this also
introduced new diseases which
damaged the indigenous Arawak
communities a few decades later.
Some evidence of the early
inhabitants can be viewed today
at a museum in White Marl, where
there are artifacts on display.
The Spanish rule
From 1494 to1655, the Spanish
utilized Jamaica as their
primary base in their quest to
control the Americas. But,
during 1655, the island was
taken over by the English headed
by Admirals Venables and Penn.
The actual influence that the
Spanish settlers had on Jamaica
as it relates to political,
economic and social development
was unimportant. Besides some
buildings with their colonial
architectural designs, as well
as names that were given to
places, rivers, mountains and
more, the Spanish did not a
significant impact on this
island.
The slave era
A couple of years following the
capturing of Jamaica, the
British brought in slaves from
Africa on a considerable scale
to work on the sugar
plantations. The British was
lucky than the Spanish, as
Jamaica delivered wealth to the
plantation owners as well as to
numerous English cities. The
slave or plantation era
completely outclassed the
religious, political and
economic life on the Island.
However, in the year 1838, the
slaves were granted freedom and
this forced the plantation
owners to start paying income to
the laborers. Immediately after
Emancipation, most of freed
slaves moved into the mountains
where they settled and start to
cultivate their own crops.
Independence
The changes for Jamaica to gain
Independence sparked the outcome
of an economic turmoil which was
a result of the "Great
Depression". As a result, two
political parties was formed in
1938 and additionally the labor
unions joined together to fight
for political freedom from the
English. In the end, Jamaica was
given political independence in
1962. After this, Jamaica was
ruled by a prime minister, but
this person still had to refer
to a representative of the Queen
of England. Today, the JLP and
PNP is the two main political
parties in Jamaica and the
Governor General still
represents the Queen.
Jamaica at present
This island is one of the
popular tourist destinations in
the Caribbean and the city of
Kingston is the capital. Every
year thousands of travelers come
from all over the world to enjoy
the culture, entertainment,
food, weather, people, as well
as to spend time in the luxury
hotels and resorts in Jamaica.
Once you get a brief look at the
Jamaica history, it is a must
that you will appreciate this
island even more.
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