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HOW HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS OF JAMAICA HAS INFLUENCED THE ISLAND

Jamaica was formally recognized as "Xaymaca", the land of wood and water. It was named Xaymaca by the Arwak and Taino people who were living in the land. The Arwak and Taino people occupied the island many years earlier before Christopher Columbus had discovered the land in the year 1494. After Christopher Columbus discovered Jamaica, Different types of people started migrating into the island. Spanish and the British people were among the groups of people who came into the island. The Spanish ruled over the island for about one and a half centuries after which the British took over the island. The British grew labor intensive crops such as sugarcane and tobacco which required great labor force, so the British brought in slaves from Africa who worked on the plantations. The slaves were subjected to hard labor and mistreatment which led to the rise of Maroon wars which arose twice. The mistreatment of the Jamaican people continued, and it pushed them to quench for their independence which the fought for and got it in the year 1962.

 

 

Slavery in Jamaica brought inequality in the land to a point where the people of color were seen and treated as inferior people. Later, the Jamaican people fought for the abolition of slave trade which was granted to them. Even after the abolition of the slave Trade, the Jamaican people were never granted equal rights, especially the people of color. Marcus Garvey and other great Jamaican leaders rose and protested inequality among the people of Jamaica, claiming that the people should be given voting rights and good living conditions among the black indigenous people in Jamaica. Marcus Garvey went ahead and founded the "Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League. Later, Marcus Garvey was arrested for mail fraud and sentenced to 5-year imprisonment in Atlanta. After the death of Marcus Garvey, the Rastafarians took over the push towards social justice and reforms through their use of music. They used music to inform the world of the social injustices that were going on in Jamaica. Rastafarians were not only a social reformative group, but also a religious group which believed in worshiping Haile Selassie. 

 

 

Migration of different groups in Jamaica has led to the cultural influence of Jamaica. Different groups came in with different cultures and exchanged the cultures with the people they found on the island. Take an example of the Africans, they influenced the rise of Rastafarianism on the land which is still active today. The migration of the Spanish into the land brought about the introduction of large-scale farming, which is a positive influence to the country's economy, but in contrast, the led to the introduction of slavery trade in to the country which is inhumane. Different types of dishes have also been influenced by the migration of different ethnicities into the country. The historical events of Jamaica have really drawn me into wanting to know more  about the island and all it entails. Its History is remarkably interesting and catchy. 

Sources

History of Jamaica- WIKIPEDIA

Virtual Caribbean Library

Jamaica-History- Britannica.