Jamaican History Essay - 1309 Words

Jamaica: History, Government, People, Religion Jamaica is a tropical island, located in the heart of the Caribbean Sea. Around the coastlines are beautiful beaches with crystal clear blue-green water. In some respects, this is the majority of what people know about Jamaica. In this orientation text you will better understand Jamaicas history, the people who live there, the many different religions, geography, and governments that have ruled the land. The land of Jamaica is very small. The total land mass area of the island is 4,243 square miles. Stretching 146 miles from east to west and at its furthest points north to south, approximately 51 miles (Encyclopedia Americana, 2001, P 670). Within this area, the land is largely†¦show more content†¦With the indigenous people gone, and Spain being overthrown, all the imported African slaves revolted. Renegade slaves were called Maroons. The Maroons waged war against there new governing country for nearly 100 years until a peace treaty was signed in 1738 (Encyclopedia America na, 2001, P 671). This era in Jamaican history is arguably the worst of all times of turmoil in Jamaican history. By the early 18th century, with the peace treaty in place, Jamaica began to build vast amounts of sugar plantations. Sugar became the main export to England. Second, and not far behind, was slave trade. Jamaicas location in the heart of the Caribbean Sea made it an ideal port for harboring slaves until they were needed to sell. This enabled Jamaica to be one of the British crowns most lucrative assets (Encyclopedia Americana, 2001, P 673). Things changed with the British Parliaments abolishment of the slave trade in 1833. Freed slaves became independent farmers or employees of surviving sugar plantations. The government also changed from an elected British assembly to a governorÂâ€"controlled crown colony enacted in 1866 and run for 75 years. During this political change, sugar industry slowed and the emergence of the banana industry became Jamaicas main export (Encycl opedia Americana, 2001, P 673). Jamaica formed a two party system in its changes. The Peoples National Party (PNP) and Jamaican Labor Party (JLP) would alternate rule for theShow MoreRelatedHistory of Jamaican Music1268 Words   |  6 PagesCrystal Hislop Research Paper: Final Submission History of Jamaican Music Contemporary History Professor:   Sharon  Rodriguez 2/19/12 History of Jamaican Music The history of Jamaican music is inextricably intertwined with the history of the Jamaican people. Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean, and was initially populated by the Arawak people. Christopher Columbus discovered the island on his second voyage to the Americas, and it was settled first by Spanish colonistsRead More The History of Jamaican Maroons Essay2381 Words   |  10 PagesThe History of Jamaican Maroons European colonialism in the Caribbean was dependent upon the use of African slaves as a major source of labor. Inevitably, some of these slaves escaped and formed isolated communities that allowed them to live outside the white-dominated plantation societies that were the norm of the time. These escaped slaves were given the name Maroon, possibly originating from the term marronage, or slave revolt. These Maroon communities existed in many different areas in theRead MoreJAMAICA history: The history of Jamaica is a rich and vibrant that inspire them to move forward as900 Words   |  4 Pages JAMAICA history: The history of Jamaica is a rich and vibrant that inspire them to move forward as a nation. 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He is a middleRead MoreThe Unique Lan guage of Jamaica887 Words   |  3 PagesIntroduction It is often said that Jamaicans have a unique language. Some may say Jamaicans do not have a language of their own. Jamaicans official language however is Standard English. However there has been much confusion in the language we speak because we sometimes or often times speak in what is called Patois, Creole or even Ungrammatical English. This however is not considered a language. Patois is not a native language, it is a second language. Patois is a combination of English and AfricanRead MoreInterview : A Middle Aged, Black, Jamaican Woman1706 Words   |  7 Pages The person I had chosen to interview is a middle-aged, black, Jamaican woman; I will call Lorna. I had known Lorna for many years now. I had met her while I was working in the operating room as an OR nurse. Lorna came to us a couple of years later, hired for a position of the surgical technologist. From the moment I had met her, we had become close friends. I liked her. She was very skilled as a scrub tech, and when we were assigned to an operating room together, I had confidence that LornaRead MoreJamaic Out Of Many, One People1245 Words   |  5 PagesJamaica: Out of Many, One People History of the Culture One would think that an island would have a culture of its own with very little outside influence, however that is not the case with this island. Located in the Caribbean Sea, Jamaica is rich in culture from its European and African history. Jamaica was first populated by the Taino people, who were also called Arawaks, in AD 600. It was then found by Christopher Columbus in 1492, and shortly thereafter became a Spanish Territory. A decadeRead MoreColonialism, By Lois Tyson Essay1775 Words   |  8 Pagesto people of color, no matter where they are from. In order to book a motel room, Boy speaks to the motel keeper â€Å"in his most formal, Jesuit-educated manner† (Cliff 55). Because the motel keeper is skeptical of Boy’s ethnicity, here, Boy sheds his Jamaican accent and acquires a more appropriate accent of the dominant culture. His accent successfully convinces the motel keeper that, although he and his family are from Jamaica, they are white. This moment becomes a turning point for Boy as he realizesRead MoreQueen Nanny Of The Windward Maroons2579 Words   |  11 PagesQueen Nanny of the Windward Maroons, has been overlooked by historians, who limited their focus to only the male figures in Maroons History. Due to her being overlooked factual information is unclear and her history was handed down thorough folklore. However, amongst the Maroons themselves, Queen Nanny also known as Obeah Woman Nanny and Granny Nanny, is held in the highest honor. Back in the 17th to 18th century, Nanny was a leader of the Rebellious group of black people called Maroons (peopleRead More Jamaica’s Troubled Past Essay3198 Words   |  13 PagesSpanish rule, the second wave was during British control. The Maroons used the highlands of Jamaica to seek refuge, establish colonies and attack plantations when needed. Even today the beliefs and herbal practices of the Maroons are still evident in Jamaican culture. Their trouble past has made their life difficult but even today they are a presence in Jamaica. The First Deserters The idea of runaways did not take long in the Caribbean islands. Jamaica was not the only island experiencing runaways