Jamaica History and Culture

Before it was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1494, Jamaica was inhabited by the Arawak and Taíno people. When Columbus arrived, he renamed it Santiago and many of the natives died of disease. African slaves were brought to the island which was later conquered by England (Great Britain) in 1655 and renamed Jamaica. Jamaica then became a leading sugar exporter under British colonial rule. Although the plantations were dependent on African slaves, it was fully emancipated in 1838 and some freedmen had farms for themselves and families instead of working on plantations. Chinese and Indian laborers bound by contract were imported beginning in the 1840’s. Jamaica finally gained independence from the United Kingdom on August 6, 1962. It is now the third most populated English-speaking country of North and South America, after the U.S. and Canada.

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