Tobacco was grown on a large scale as smoking was their most popular pastime. Physically, they were light brown in colour, short and well-shaped with coarse, black hair. Their numbers grew with each runaway slave, and the Spanish began to fear their power. In the wake of the English Civil War, the new Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell sought to expand his domain in the New World. By 1700 Jamaica was awash with sugar plantations and Jamaica's population was comprised of 7,000 English to 40,000 slaves. It was the centre of government and trade and had many churches and convents. What Are The Damages That A Hurricane Can Cause? The rebellion was put down by the Governor, Edward John Eyre. The Constitution took effect on August 6,1962 when Jamaica gained political independence from Britain, after more than 300 years of British colonial rule. The Jamaican Constitution 1962 is the most fundamental legal document in the country, guaranteeing the freedom, rights and privileges of every Jamaican citizen. Harvesting sugar cane requires a lot of manpower, more than the British could supply themselves. Bent was presented with a gift basket containing personal care items, courtesy of LASCO Limited. Port Royal became an important naval base in the eighteenth century. On January 1, 1808 the Abolition Bill was passed. In England, they used to say “as rich as a West Indian planter” to … 1 (876) 926-3740-6, Feature | Presented by: Anjuii James Sawyers, Copyright 2020 The Jamaica Information Service. She has suffered earthquake, famine, pestilence, fire and death: and she has been the home of cruel merciless slavery, hardly second to that practised by the Spaniards themselves. 1248. This contributed to the weakening of the colony in the last years of Spanish occupation. The abolition of the British slave trade in 1807 did not mean that people of African origin no longer came to the island. There are mountains and plateaus to the interior and east of the island. Columbus had heard about Jamaica, then called Xaymaca, from the Cubans who described it as “the land of blessed gold”. The governors were not getting proper support from home and quarrels with church authorities undermined their control. They were also joined by immigrants from the Middle East, primarily what is now Lebanon (although, in Jamaica, these residents are known as “Syrians.”) Jamaica has been an independent nation since 1962. When the Spanish (in the form of Columbus's expedition) came to the Caribbean in the late 15th century, they were coming for "gold, God, and glory." Jamaica served mainly as a supply base: food, men, arms and horse were shipped here to help in conquering the American mainland. These individuals ended up in Jamaica for a variety of reasons. The story of how English came to Jamaica is closely connected to one of the most shameful chapters in the history of the British Empire – the slave trade. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. On May 10, 1655, an English expedition, commanded by Admiral William Penn and General Robert Venables, landed at the present-day coastal town of Passage Fort, in the southeastern parish of Saint Catherine. Both Sir Alexander Bustamante and Norman Manley were instrumental in Jamaica’s move towards self-government. Trading in African slaves was declared to be “utterly abolished, prohibited and declared to be unlawful”. In 1739 and 1740 after two major Maroon Wars, treaties were signed with the British. From 1509 to 1655, what we know as Jamaica was called Santiago, a colony of Spain. Here's a look at the major ethnic groups which arrived in Jamaica: Tainos - came from South America around 600 AD.Very few descendants of Tainos remain on the island. Fish was also a major part of their diet. Port Royal prior to this time was an insignificant town in Jamaica. Bustamante assumed the title of prime minister. 1 (876) 926-3590-4 Portland Eastern By-Election 2019: 6 Things From The Data. – Howard Pyle, “Jamaica New and Old” in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, January 1890. They formed an anti slavery committee which was joined by supporters such as Granville Sharp, James Ramsay, Thomas Clarkson and later on, William Wilberforce. He was also the founder and leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), the political party affiliated with the BITU. Jamaica, W.I, Tel: They grew cassava, sweet potatoes, maize (corn), fruits, vegetables, cotton and tobacco. George Gordon was a prominent coloured legislator who was sympathetic to the problems of the poor people and was blamed for the trouble caused by the masses. Also called Tainos was soon to find out that there was no in. Prosperous sugarcane plantations and joining the Maroons also had several wars against the Federation of English. 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