If Christopher Columbus’ so-called “discovery” of Jamaica in 1494 was a “buck-up” as Jamaicans would say — an accidental encounter — then the English capture of Jamaica in 1655 could be likened to another Jamaican proverb: “If yuh cyaan ketch Quaco, yuh ketch him shut.” This means if you can’t get your first choice, you settle for what you can get. In this context, Jamaica was never a major English target due to its limited wealth and strategic importance at the time. Rather, the island was a consolation prize after England’s failed attempt to seize the more valuable Spanish colony of Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic).
The Capture of Jamaica (1655)
In 1655, an expeditionary force under General Robert Venables and Admiral William Penn was sent by Oliver Cromwell as part of the Western Design, England’s campaign to weaken Spain’s power in the Caribbean. After failing in their mission to capture Hispaniola, the demoralized fleet turned its attention to Jamaica, known to be sparsely populated and poorly defended by the Spanish. On May 10, 1655, the English forces landed at Passage Fort, Kingston Harbour, and quickly occupied the island with minimal resistance.
The Spanish, realizing they were outnumbered and vulnerable, freed and armed many of their enslaved Africans before fleeing inland toward the north coast and eventually to Cuba. These freed Africans and their descendants formed the roots of the Maroon communities that would later become symbols of Jamaican resistance and resilience.
By 1660, Spanish attempts to reclaim Jamaica, notably by Governor Cristóbal Arnaldo de Ysassi, had failed. The decisive battle at Rio Nuevo in 1658 marked the end of Spanish rule. In 1670, the Treaty of Madrid formally ceded Jamaica to Britain.
Colonial Settlement and the Sugar Revolution
Following their conquest, the English turned to making Jamaica a profitable colony. Early agricultural pursuits included tobacco, indigo, and cocoa, but it was sugar that would transform Jamaica’s economy — and its society. The rise of sugar plantations created an immense demand for labor, leading to the mass importation of enslaved Africans via the transatlantic slave trade.
By 1673, there were 57 sugar estates on the island; by 1739, the number had grown to over 400. Sugar became “king,” and Jamaica was dubbed “the jewel in the English Crown.” The plantation system built around slavery created massive wealth for English planters but at the cost of unimaginable human suffering.
Slavery and Resistance
Between the late 17th and early 19th centuries, Jamaica received hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans. By 1734, the enslaved African population was 87,000, far outnumbering the white population, which remained below 10,000. Africans endured brutal conditions — from the Middle Passage to the fields of the plantations. They were treated as property and subjected to extreme physical and psychological abuse.
Yet, they never submitted without resistance. From acts of sabotage and escape to the formation of Maroon communities in Jamaica’s mountainous interior, enslaved Africans resisted their oppression in various forms. One of the most significant uprisings was the Tacky Rebellion of 1760 in St. Mary, led by a former African chief, which claimed over 400 lives.
The Maroon Rebellion
The Maroons and Their Struggles
The Maroons, descendants of Africans freed by the Spanish, waged guerrilla warfare against the English throughout the 18th century. Their resistance was so effective that the British were forced to sign treaties with them in 1739 and 1740, granting them semi-autonomous lands and freedom in exchange for peace and assistance in recapturing runaway slaves.
Path to Emancipation
By the early 19th century, a growing abolitionist movement in Britain, led by figures like William Wilberforce, began pressuring the government to end the transatlantic slave trade. In 1807, the trade was officially abolished, although illegal trading continued for years. Still, plantation owners resisted ending slavery itself.
Sam Sharpe
It was the Christmas Rebellion of 1831, also called the Baptist War, led by Sam Sharpe, that ultimately forced the issue. Though envisioned as a peaceful strike, the rebellion escalated, resulting in the destruction of several estates and over 300 enslaved persons being executed in retaliation. Sam Sharpe was among those hanged, but his actions significantly influenced the passing of the Abolition Act in 1834. Full emancipation followed in 1838.
Post-Emancipation Challenges
Freedom came at a cost. While white plantation owners were compensated for their “loss of property,” formerly enslaved Africans received nothing. Many left plantations and formed “Free Villages” with the help of missionaries. However, the new social and economic order still left many Black Jamaicans impoverished and marginalized.
To fill the labor gap on plantations, workers from China and India were brought in under indentureship. Many of them remained in Jamaica, contributing to the country’s rich ethnic and cultural diversity.
Morant Bay Rebellion (1865)
Paul Bogle
The injustices of post-emancipation Jamaica boiled over in October 1865 with the Morant Bay Rebellion, led by Paul Bogle, a Baptist deacon. The rebellion, driven by poverty, land hunger, and political exclusion, was met with overwhelming violence by colonial authorities. Over 400 were killed, and both Paul Bogle and legislator George William Gordon were executed. The uprising led Britain to impose Crown Colony rule, centralizing authority in the hands of the Governor and removing local legislative power.
George William Gordon
Crown Colony Rule and Economic Diversification
Though repressive, Crown Colony rule ushered in modernization: improvements in infrastructure, the judicial system, police, education, and health care. The banana trade emerged in the late 19th century, eventually overtaking sugar as the dominant export. Bananas also birthed Jamaica’s tourism industry, as American ships that transported fruit to the U.S. began carrying tourists to the island as well.
The Rise of Nationalism and Political Movements
World War I, the Great Depression, and worsening economic conditions in the early 20th century reignited the Jamaican spirit for change. By the 1930s, labor unrest led to the formation of trade unions and political movements. Key figures emerged, including:
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Alexander Bustamante, founder of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU) and later the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP)
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Norman Manley, a lawyer and cousin of Bustamante, who founded the People’s National Party (PNP) in 1938
These leaders pushed for constitutional reforms, better wages, and political representation. In 1944, universal adult suffrage was granted, ending the Crown Colony period and paving the way toward self-governance.
From Self-Government to Sovereignty
Jamaica took major steps toward autonomy in the 1950s:
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1953: Cabinet government introduced
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1957: Full internal self-rule granted
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1959: Jamaica becomes fully self-governing, with only defense and foreign affairs controlled by Britain
During this time, Jamaica saw the growth of bauxite mining, industrialization, the University College of the West Indies, and the expansion of tourism. The island briefly joined the West Indies Federation in 1958 but withdrew by referendum in 1961, choosing instead to pursue full independence.
Jamaican Independence (1962)
On August 6, 1962, Jamaica achieved full independence and became a sovereign nation within the British Commonwealth. The colonial period had officially ended.
Legacy of the English Period
The English Period in Jamaica left a complex legacy — one of oppression and exploitation, but also of resilience and resistance. From the cruelty of slavery to the courage of Sam Sharpe and Paul Bogle; from Maroon defiance to the determined rise of trade unionists and nationalists, Jamaica’s path from colony to independence is a testament to the strength and spirit of its people.
This period shaped modern Jamaica’s identity, blending the scars of colonization with the pride of cultural survival and self-determination. The journey from “Quaco’s shut” to a sovereign state reflects not just history, but the soul of a nation.
