History and Politics of Jamaica


The discovery of the West Indies opened up new worlds for travelers and settlers, and new arenas for colonizers. With the discovery and arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Caribbean New World became a ‘piece of the pie’ that colonies wanted a slice out of. Between the Spanish and the British, the Caribbean would be colonized and become a pawn in the colonizers’ game.

 According to an author with Britannica, “…control of the West Indies began in 1492 with Christopher Columbus’s first landing in the New World and was followed by the partitioning of the region by the Spanish, French, British, Dutch, and Danish during the 17th century…Before the colonization of the West Indies, however, pre-Columbian peoples there had evolved important and distinctive cultures…” (Clarke). You’ll remember in my blog post ‘Jamaica, My Love’, we learned that the Arawak and Taino peoples inhabited the land of Jamaica, naming it ‘Xaymaca’, meaning the land of wood and water. Under Spanish rule, which lasted from 1494 to 1655, the Arawak became slaves to the Spanish, and most of the Taino died out, most likely as a result of the diseases the European brought to the land. Once ‘Xaymaca’ was acquired by the English in 1655, after an attack against the Arawak and Taino peoples, the English renamed the island Jamaica. Under English rule, Africans were traded and enslaved to grow tobacco, cocoa, sugar, and circulate as payment through the Middle Passage for rum and molasses(Mitchell).

On August 6th, 1962, Jamaica became independent from the British, but remains a part of the British Commonwealth. Under their government, The Queen remains the head of state, who acts in accordance with the Prime Minister. To this day, British ties to Jamaica are still apparent.


 

 



Resources:

    Clarke, Colin Graham and Brereton, Bridget M.. "West Indies". Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Nov. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/place/West-Indies-island-group-Atlantic-Ocean. Accessed 29 March 2021.

    Haughton, Maurice. “Colonialism and Neocolonialism in Jamaica.” Jamaica Observer, 2 Feb. 2014, www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Colonialism-and-neocolonialism-in-Jamaica-_15717745.

    Mitchell, Camryn. “Jamaica, My Love.” Daily Passionfruit, 9 Feb. 2021, dailypassionfruit.blogspot.com/2021/02/the-history-of-jamaica.html.

    Wikipedia contributors. “Politics of Jamaica.” Wikipedia, 7 Feb. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Jamaica.

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Rastafarian

Image
          In the 1930s, the “Rastafarian” movement developed in Jamaica. This is a religion classified as part new religion, and sociopolitical movement. Rastafarianism is believed to have sprouted from the suppression of the Afro- Jamaicans in ‘Babylon’, who had been traded as slaves and exiled as captives. According to BBC.uk, the movement began with Marcus Garvey, a political leader who led the Universal Negro Improvement Association, with the intention of bringing blacks back to their homelands, “Ethiopia”, being Africa.           Haile Selassie I, born “Ras Tafari”, was crowned emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 – 1974, he became regarded as the “Second Coming of Christ”, the “Black Messiah”, the Redeemer. With Marcus Garvey’s push to, ‘look to Africa, where a black king shall be crowned, [where] he shall be your Redeemer’, Haile Selassie I became God incarnate among Rastafarians. Today, there seems to be a misconception; most will see Rastafarians as dread-headed ‘blissful stoners’. W
Read more

To The Bahamas

Image
          Right now, in the dead of winter of January in the United States, the one thing we need right now is an escape. An escape to a tropical island, sipping on pina coladas with. Somewhere hot and sunny, to lay on sun-dried sand, looking out to clear blue seas. What we need is a trip to the Bahamas.        Northwest in the Caribbean region, the Bahamas lies just south of Florida of the U.S. consists of 700 islands. These islands make for great getaways and vacations, where there’s nothing but beaches to wind down to. The Bahamas seems to have always been a site for tourism. In 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered an island of the Bahamas, which encouraged expansion to the area. Tourism brought the islands out of its economic decline after the effects of the American Revolution reached the Bahamas. The expansion brought diversity to the islands. Although 85% of the island is of African descent, the Bahamas are home to Asian, European, refugees, and other peoples. This diversity br
Read more

Jamaica, My Love

Image
          Jamaica, another beautiful island of the Caribbean, is the third largest island of the Caribbean. It is home to many different peoples, making Jamaica rich in culture and history. According to historians, long before Christopher Columbus sailed what would be known as the "West Indies", the Arawak and Taino peoples inhabited the land of Jamaica, calling it ‘Xaymaca’, the land of wood and water. Once ‘Xaymaca’ was acquired by the English in 1655, after an attack against the Arawak and Taino peoples, the English renamed the island Jamaica. Under English rule, enslaved Africans grew tobacco, cocoa, sugar, and were traded through the Middle Passage for rum and molasses.             In 1865, the Morant Bay Rebellion changed the course of the island’s progress. Paul Bogle and his men stormed the Morant Bay Courthouse, which led to Governor John Eyre being recalled to England. This movement brought growth and development to the lands. On August 6 th , 1962, Jamaica became i
Read more