Jamaica's Fascinating History

Jamaica Is Steeped in History

By Ken Rivadeneira

For centuries, people from all walks of life have sought refuge in Jamaica. This prevailing theme follows the island of Jamaica throughout its post--Columbian history, and that characteristic remains to this day as millions of tourists flock to the nation’s plentiful resorts and hotels to find a blissful escape from their everyday lives. Jamaica welcomes visitors from the four corners of the globe with not only -pristine beaches and world-class vacations, but also with rich -historical sites that offer a glimpse into a magnificent past.

Before the Europeans arrived in the Americas, the Taino tribe inhabited Jamaica. These were the peaceful natives who greeted Christopher Columbus when he set foot on the island on May 5, 1594, during his second voyage to the New World. They called the island “Xaymaca” in their Arawak language, meaning “Land of Wood and Water.” Although Columbus claimed the island in the name of Spain, it would be more than 16 years before the Spanish returned and settled in what is now St. Ann’s Bay. The settlement of New Seville floundered for a number of years, but eventually it was abandoned in favor of another town in the southern portion of the island, Villa de la Vega. In 1655, the English, led by William Penn (of Pennsylvania fame) and Robert Venables, conquered Jamaica and renamed the city Spanish Town.

The Spanish were unsuccessful in their attempts to regain control of the island; in a final attempt, they released their slaves in hopes of using them as a force to challenge the English. Though these freed slaves, known as Maroons, retreated into the mountains to create their own communities, they continued to resist the English and any attempts at colonization, occasionally raiding plantations. The Maroons’ adaptability to the island’s harsh, impenetrable interior offered them refuge from the slave system and allowed their recondite communities to prosper.

Under the English, Jamaica prospered thanks in part to a proclamation that gave land to every British free citizen who settled on the island. This incentive led to an influx of settlers. Jamaica’s centric position in the Caribbean Sea also made it a popular stomping ground for privateers, who ransacked passing Spanish merchant ships and galleons headed to their colonies on the mainland.

The town of Port Royal, near Spanish Town, quickly became one of the most prosperous — and “wickedest” — places in the New World, as it harbored many pirates such as Henry Morgan, John Davis and Edward Mansveldt, who brought riches and trade. The city’s reputation as a haven for criminals and prostitutes led to comparisons with Sodom. In 1692, the town ironically met an end of Biblical proportions when a devastating earthquake sank much of it. Because of Port Royal’s shallow foundations on sandy ground, the city was literally swallowed by the earth, and the ensuing tsunami dragged it into the sea. Those who did not perish in those events then succumbed to disease resulting from the decomposing corpses that remained. Today, reminders of this earthquake can still be seen in places such as the famous Giddy House, which remains perpetually half-eaten by the earth, and much of the town lies well-preserved underwater.

After the destruction of Port Royal, the capital of Jamaica moved back to Spanish Town and later Kingston, as earthquake survivors sought to resettle. The fate of Port Royal -effectively brought an end to Jamaica’s favorable -relationship with piracy, as many saw it as a divine punishment, and succeeding governors adopted a more intolerant stance. In the 18th century, several infamous pirates were actually imprisoned or executed here, including the well-known Calico Jack Rackham, Charles Vane, Anne Bonny and Mary Read.

With the death of piracy as an acceptable revenue stream, Jamaica turned to sugarcane production. The fertile savannas and valleys provided an excellent environment for sugarcane plantations. This, in turn, led to a hike in the trade of slaves from West Africa, as a labor force was needed for the cultivation of crops. At its peak, Jamaica produced 22 percent of the world’s supply of sugarcane. However, the particularly cruel slave system on the island led to many slave uprisings. In addition, runaway slaves sought help from Maroons, who aided in the rebellions against the British planters. More than a century of skirmishes and two Maroon wars, in addition to the anti-slavery movement in Europe, led to the abolition of slavery on -Jamaica in 1834. An ineffective apprenticeship system was created, but it, too, ended just a few years later, and full emancipation was enacted in 1838.

The end of the slave system, naturally, caused a decline in sugarcane production. Other crops were introduced to diversify the economy of the island, and labor was imported from China and India. Society in Jamaica also took on a transformation, as social classes that once had no political clout began to rise, leading to social reforms. By the mid-20th century, Jamaica was well on its way toward claiming independence from the British crown, which it finally received on Aug. 6, 1962. Since then, the country has grown commercially and politically into one of the leading nations in the Caribbean region. And with a well-established tourism infrastructure, it continues to be one of the world’s leading destinations for fun, sun and relaxation. A true refuge.