Jamaica is an island nation which is located in the Caribbean Sea.Though Jamaica is situated closer to South America, almost 90% of the population can trace their ancestors back to the African continent. The island of Jamaica is the third-largest island in the Caribbean, after Cuba and Hispaniola.People from all over the world can be found in Jamaica, despite the majority being those of African descent. The people are proud of their multicultural roots, which is reflected in Jamaica’s motto, ‘Out of Many, One people’. Jamaica is known for its enjoyable, tropical climate, Reggae music, and the beautiful Blue mountain peak. Blue mountain coffee, named after the aforementioned Blue mountain peak. is a must-have. The capital city of Jamaica is Kingston, and the official language is English, though the majority of the population can be heard speaking Jamaican Creole. The nation of Jamaica is bordered by coastal plains and fishing is very bountiful. It is also quite mountainous when compared with other Caribbean countries, with the Blue Mountains and John Crow mountains forming an extensive range in the east, with the Port Royal mountains in the west. Take a deep dive into Jamaica’s history with us, as we learn more about how this amazing island nation came to be!If you enjoyed this article, do check out our other pages on Honduras history facts and Belgium history facts.The Discovery Of JamaicaThe discovery of Jamaica is credited to Christopher Columbus, who first sighted the island nation on his second West Indies trip in 1494.It was originally inhabited by migrants from South America who settled there around 2,500 years ago and named it Xaymaca, which translates to ’the land of wood and water’. These people were known as the Arawaks. The Arawaks had peaceful lives and spent their days growing maize, sweet potatoes cassava, cotton and tobacco, and fishing along the bountiful coastlines. The discovery of their islands led to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, who invaded the island and destroyed their livelihoods.When Christopher Columbus first set sights on the island, he attempted to colonize it in the name of Spain’s king and queen. The Arawaks attempted to drive him and his men off of the island, however, they were then attacked by the invader’s dogs, and some of the men were killed in a crossfire from Columbus’s men. Columbus then laid claim upon the island and annexed it for Spain.The Spaniards arrived shortly after and fought the Arawaks in order to gain all their land and resources. They also brought a host of European diseases which the natives had no resistance against. However Arawak people continue to live in South America and the Caribbean.After this occurrence, the island nation was mainly used as a supply base for men, horses, arms, and food, which were used in order to conquer the Americas. A few years later, the Spaniards started settling onto the small island, however life there was very difficult. The island was wrought with internal political strife and constant attacks from pirates, which greatly weakened the colony, which is when the English set their eyes on it.Jamaica As A Crown ColonyIn 1655, the English led an attack on the nation of Jamaica, successfully gaining power over it from Spain. The Spaniards freed their slaves, who went on to be known as Maroons, and all escaped to Cuba.During this period, Port Royal became a base for Buccaneers, who took over the town. They preyed upon Spanish ships in the Caribbean Sea, bringing their loots of gold, silver, and jewels back to the town.As the English started settling on the island, they shifted their focus to using the fertile land to grow crops that would sell well in England. The earlier crops of tobacco, cocoa, and indigo were slowly replaced with sugar, with almost 430 sugar estates dominating the island by 1739!African slaves worked on the sugar estates, which had by then become the main export of the colony. Many slave led rebellions took place during this time period, with many workers escaping their plantations to join the Maroons in the mountainous regions to stay safe. In fact, these frequent rebellions are one of the factors which led to the abolishment of the slave industry on the Caribbean islands. The slave industry was completely banned between 1834-1838, and all former slaves became free men. This was one of the causes of the onset of the American Civil War around the same time period, leading to a decrease in supplies to the island. The island also suffered from a severe plague around the same time, which resulted in the failure of most crops.A rebellion took place, in which the former slaves rose up against the estate owners in the middle of the economic depression. This led to the changing out of the ancient constitution to a new Crown colony leadership, and Jamaica was officially declared a Crown Colony in 1866, adopting the same administration procedures as those of the British.The Decline Of The Sugar IndustryThe series of events that transpired after the abolishment of slaves on the island in 1807 led to a rapid decline in the sugar industry. The Jamaican economy was heavily dependent on sugar crops, however, the onset of hurricanes, pirate attacks, droughts, and war disrupted the export trade, as well as wreaked havoc on the crops. The industry began facing heavy competition from nations like Cuba, and the lack of labor slowly led to a decline over the years. This led to the complete emancipation of slaves from plantations in 1838, after slavery was abolished in 1834. Slavery was abolished after the treatment of African slaves on sugar plantations was brought to light.The former slaves settled in farming belts, where they occupied small farms and contributed to farming cash crops like yams and tobacco. However, the island was still plagued by drought and food shortages, which caused economic decline, ultimately leading to the Morant Bay rebellions of 1865. Plantation house ruins can still be found near Montego Bay as a result of the revolts. The newly formed Crown Colony administration helped to bring about social and economic change, greatly helping agricultural developments to advance. This led to the development of banana plantations, which then slowly overtook Jamaican sugar as the principal crop and export of Jamaica.This resulted in a series of events that finally resulted in the independence of Jamaica from the British in 1962.The Jamaican ConstitutionWhen Jamaica achieved independence in 1962 from the British, the new administration adopted the Jamaican cCnstitution, which contained writings on the rights, freedom, and privileges of every citizen of Jamaica.Though Jamaica achieved political independence in 1962, a committee was already hard at work drawing up the most fundamental legal framework for the country almost 30 years prior. This was unofficially adopted on November 20, 1944. It helped to provide a universal franchise for all Jamaican citizens, regardless of their race and class. It is divided into 10 chapters, each of them addressing separate aspects of the governance of Jamaica.The committee behind the Constitution studied working conditions as well as many other aspects of Jamaican society, be it social, economic, or political. They investigated each layer of society thoroughly, and their findings helped them to draw up the first draft of the Constitution which helped provide a protected life to each and every citizen of the country. Though it was still in use up until the Jamaica Independence Act of 1962, it was officially adopted on August 6, 1962, when Jamaica gained political independence. However, it is still a part of the British Commonwealth, with Queen Elizabeth II being the current head of state.Birth of Jamaica’s Movie IndustryThe birth of the movie industry can be traced back to 1948 when the Motion Picture Encouragement Act was passed. This helped to reduce taxes for state-funded entertainment companies, in order to promote the creation of jobs, investment in, and the export of the movie industry of Jamaica.This act helps to link private investors and governments to movie makers, as well as helping out local movie companies and co-ordinating with foreign producers who wish to film in Jamaica.Though Jamaica is not known for its movie industry, there have been many notable films to come from it, with Perry Henzels ‘The Harder They Come’ being the most recognizable Jamaican film. It helped to push forward and shine light on Reggae music and Rastafari movements which had started to gain traction at that time. It actually served as an influence for the Reggae Film Festival, which was established in 2008 in New Kingston.Did you know…The national currency of Jamaica is the Jamaican dollar, with one Jamaican dollar equalling 100 cents.The national bird of Jamaica is the green and black red-billed streamertail bird, with its national flower being the beautiful purple Guaiacum.The name ‘Jamaica’ is derived from ‘Xamayca’, which is what the Arawak people named the island. It roughly translates to ’the isle of springs’ or ’the land of wood and water’.Jamaica is rich in natural resources, with the island being rich in bauxite, limestone, marble, silica sand, and oil and gas. It has plenty of wood as well as long, twisting rivers, such as the Black River and Rio Cobre, as well as the Rio Minho. This is the longest river in Central Jamaica. It is bordered by numerous mountain ranges, such as the Blue Mountains, Port Royal mountains, and the John Crow mountains.The current prime minister of the country is Andrew Holness, who looks after the day-to-day administration of Jamaica, while the official head of state is Queen Elizabeth II.Some popular tourist places which are must-visits are Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, and Negril, all of which are stunning coastal towns.The first reformed church was established for Dutch settlers in 1702, who brought Christianity to the island.Organized crime gangs are very common in Jamaica, committing smuggling of guns and drugs, kidnapping, robberies, and other high-profile crimes. The Jamaican government has taken a number of steps to combat this, including training law enforcement personnel, increasing education among the youth and improving infrastructure in schools, and trying to make the city safer by increasing lighting and surveillance.The Maroon war took place in 1728 and was led by slaves bought by the Spanish, who escaped working on sugar plantations. They rebelled to free all the slaves and hid in the mountains. They used guerilla warfare in order to help free other slaves, which led to them being offered peace treaties. However, the treaties were not sufficient enough for the Maroons, leading to the onset of the Second Maroon war almost a century later.The African descent population in Jamaica has led to the celebration of Black History month, in order to honor the black leaders who fought for the freedom of the people.The Yallahs Ponds in Jamaica are believed to have originated from a very sad story, because of two brothers who were in love with the same woman. The ponds are said to have been created by the tears of one of the brothers, which drowned the other brother as well as his wife, who went behind his back and had an affair with him, breaking his trust.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked reading these Jamaica history facts then why not take a look at mind-blowing Apollo 1 facts that you probably didn’t know, or interesting Apollo 10 facts for future astronauts.
Jamaica is an island nation which is located in the Caribbean Sea.
