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Tainos from South America had settled in Jamaica at around
1,000 CE and called the land Xamayca, meaning land of
wood and water. After Christopher Columbus' arrival in 1494,
Spain claimed the island and began occupation in 1509,
naming the island Santiago. The Arawaks were
exterminated by disease, slavery, and war. Spain brought the
first African slaves to Jamaica in 1517.
The 1907
Catholic Encyclopedia states, "A review of the period of
Spanish occupation is one which reflects very little credit
on Spanish colonial administration in those days. Their
treatment of the aboriginal inhabitants, whom they are
accused of having practically exterminated, is a grave
charge, and if true, cannot be condoned on the plea that
such conduct was characteristic of the age, and that as bad
or worse was perpetrated by other nations even in later
years." This is borne out by the much more detailed history
of Spanish Jamaica by Francisco Morales Padrón.
In May 1655,
British forces in the form of a joint expedition by Admiral
Sir William Penn (father of the founder of Pennsylvania),
and General Robert Venables seized the island. In 1657 the
Governor invited buccaneers to base themselves at Port Royal
to deter Spanish aggression. In 1657 and 1658 the Spanish,
sailing from Cuba, failed at the battles of Ocho Rios and
Rio Nuevo in their attempts to retake the island, and in
1657 Admiral Robert Blake defeated the Spanish West Indian
Fleet.
Also see:
British
Colonialization of Jamaica,
Jamaica
Independence,
Daily
Life - Picture of Jamaica,
Jamaican
Homes - Picture of Jamaica,
Tourism
- Picture of Jamaica,
Bauxite
Export - Picture of Jamaica,
Jamaican
coastal View
Historically, Jamaican emigration has been heavy. In the
1950s and 1960s the destination was Britain, since the
United Kingdom restricted emigration in 1967, the major flow
has been to the United States and Canada. About 20,000
Jamaicans emigrate to the United States each year; another
200,000 visit annually. New York, Miami, Chicago, and
Hartford are among the U.S. cities with a significant
Jamaican population. Remittances from the expatriate
communities in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada
make increasingly significant contributions to Jamaica's
economy.
Sources:
www.wikipedia.org |
