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3 days ago · The crown colony. The Jamaican assembly had effectively voted its own extinction by yielding power to Eyre, and in 1866 Parliament declared the island a crown colony. Its newly appointed governor, Sir John Peter Grant, wielded the only real executive or legislative power.
- Cultural Life
Jamaica - Music, Cuisine, Religion: Jamaica’s cultural...
- Economy
Jamaica - Economy, Agriculture, Tourism: Jamaica’s economy...
- History
Early period. The first inhabitants of Jamaica probably came...
- Cultural Life
The Crown Colony of Jamaica and Dependencies was a British colony from 1655, when it was captured by the English Protectorate from the Spanish Empire. Jamaica became a British colony from 1707 and a Crown colony in 1866.
The ethnic composition of Jamaica is largely reflected in its motto, ‘Out of Many, One People’ and is inextricably linked to the nation’s socio-economic history, especially that concerning enslavement and colonization, which resulted in mass immigration and started from as early as the sixteenth century.
- Overview
- History of Jamaica
- Early period
The following history of Jamaica focuses on events from the time of European contact. For treatments of the island in its regional context, see West Indies and history of Latin America.
The following history of Jamaica focuses on events from the time of European contact. For treatments of the island in its regional context, see West Indies and history of Latin America.
The first inhabitants of Jamaica probably came from islands to the east in two waves of migration. About 600 ce the culture known as the “Redware people” arrived; little is known of them, however, beyond the red pottery they left. They were followed about 800 by the Arawakan-speaking Taino, who eventually settled throughout the island. Their economy, based on fishing and the cultivation of corn (maize) and cassava, sustained as many as 60,000 people in villages led by caciques (chieftains).
Christopher Columbus reached the island in 1494 and spent a year shipwrecked there in 1503–04. The Spanish crown granted the island to the Columbus family, but for decades it was something of a backwater, valued chiefly as a supply base for food and animal hides. In 1509 Juan de Esquivel founded the first permanent European settlement, the town of Sevilla la Nueva (New Seville), on the north coast. In 1534 the capital was moved to Villa de la Vega (later Santiago de la Vega), now called Spanish Town. The Spanish enslaved many of the Taino; some escaped, but most died from European diseases and overwork. The Spaniards also introduced the first African slaves. By the early 17th century, when virtually no Taino remained in the region, the population of the island was about 3,000, including a small number of African slaves.
Aug 7, 2020 · The Full Story. Jamaica’s culture, arguably, ranks among the most fascinating in the world. It is one encompassing music, a variety of dances and food, folklore, language, norms and values, and customs and beliefs, which underlie an ethnically diverse society.
Nov 6, 2007 · Jamaica's first inhabitants, the Tainos (also called the Arawaks), were a peaceful people believed to be from South America. It was the Tainos who met Christopher Columbus when he arrived on ...
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After more than 300 years of British colonial rule, Jamaica became a sovereign nation on August 6, 1962 which saw the unfurling of the national flag of Jamaica in the colours of black, green and gold.
