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Jamaica

INTRODUCTION

Jamaica is a fun place to visit--if you remember a few simple rules. Stay as close to the hotel as possible, travel in groups, and always let someone known where you are going. Jamaica does have a problem with crime, so the best idea is to stay close to the cruise ship or resort. Many resorts are guarded areas that are almost impossible for criminals to get in.

If you do decide to leave and head to a shopping area, travel in groups and let your resort or a friend know you are heading out.

Jamaica is known for its jewelery and handmade goods.

Jamaica is a great tourist destination. You can climb up a waterfall in Ocho Rios, where water pours down as you head up the waterfall--but don't worry, it's a guided tour.

Cities in Jamaica:

Kingston Montego Bay Negril? Ocho Rios? Port Antonio? Port Royal Run-Away Bay? Spanish Town

HISTORY

Jamaica has come a long way since its settlement days. Early evidence suggests that the island was settled by South American Taino tribes around 1,000 B.C.E. Life revolved around agriculture and fishing, although the seafaring culture retained contact with it ancestral relatives on the South American mainland.

When Christopher Columbus arrived in 1494 and claimed the island for Spain it became known as Santiago. The Spanish began extensive settlement efforts and in the process the Taino tribes were all but exterminated. Interestingly, by 1517 the Spanish settlers had begun bringing slaves from as far away as Africa to the island.

The Spanish settlers established Villa de la Vega, now known as Spanish Town, as the capital of their new colony in 1534.

IN 1655 English settlers took control of the island and Villa de la Vega was renamed Spanish Town. Heavy fighting between Spanish and English settlers resulted in the destruction of much of the city and for a short time the harbor city of Port Royal was used as the capital.

Founded, by the Spanish but taken over by the English in 1655, Port Royal became an important center for economic growth and by 1659 had experienced substantial growth.

The island proved an ideal location for the cultivation of sugarcane and coffee. The use of slave labor also began to climb. Modern estimates claim that within 100 years the Jamaican slave population exceeded European settlers 20 to 1.

During the 17th century Jamaica was besieged by seafaring pirates. The island's ideal location and wealthy cities made it a target for notorious bandits like Henry Morgan.

English defenses were poor and by the end of the 1600s Port Royal had developed one of the worst reputations in the colonies. The “Sodom of the New World” as it came to be called, and by then one of the largest and wealthiest colonies in the Caribbean, Jamaica began to enlist the aid of pirates, no doubt drawn to the island by the lure of the newly minted coins that began to replace the barter system of commerce, in defending the island.

Anti-piracy laws later came into effect and Port Royal turned from a pirate safe haven to a pirate execution ground.

Tragedy struck in 1692, when a massive earthquake leveled most of Port Royal. Much of the land was washed into sea, leaving half the city dead. The devastation led to the founding of Kingston, a new city that became the capital in 1872.

Kingston was founded in 1693 by residents of Port Royal displaced by the earthquake. By the early 1700s the city had become the largest on the island and its commercial center. Over the next few years several wealthy merchants relocated to Kingston, attracted by its serene beauty and commercial potential.

In the mid 18th century Kingston welcomed the relocation of government offices and the population began to grow. Within a few years the city officially became the new capital.

During the 1800s the slave population began to rise up against its oppressors. Several slave revolts resulted in many escaping capture and establishing their own colonies around the island, often in areas the English found difficult or not worth settling. Some escaped slaves took work in English emply, hunting down other escaped slaves.

During the ensuing Great Jamaican Slave Revolt of the 1830s more than 500 slaves lost their lives. By the end of the decade an unconditional emancipation was enforced, bringing island slavery to an end.

Newly won freedom was difficult for former slaves, many of whom found themselves contractually obligated to their former “owners”. The short lived Morant Bay Rebellion did little to help their cause, and was brutally put down.

Fortunately, former cash crops like sugarcane began to lose importance and new markets (such as the growing of bananas) began to open up, offering new life to the disenfranchised.Still seen as a commercial bounty, Jamaica became a Crown Colony in the mid 1800s.

In 1907, Jamaica suffered another massive earthquake, nearly destroying the cities of Kingston and Port Royal. To make matters worse, the post war recession and subsequent Great Depression left little money for the more expensive imported goods that Jamaica was known for and the economy suffered. A short lived revolt, however, led to radical social and political restructuring, resulting in the first organized labor movement in the colony.

While power changed hands continually for the next few years, a new national identity began to emerge. Jamaica was granted independence in 1962, but remained a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The changing times brought back some of the unsavory elements of Jamaica’s early years and the island began to develop a reputation for violence and crime not known since the days of piracy. The resulting emigration boom led to many residents resettling in the Americas, in particular the east coast of the United States.

Modern Jamaica enjoys a reputation as a popular tourist destination, in part for its long and colorful history, in part for its ideal setting. Jamaica supports a unique culture, which continues to enjoy a small share of the international limelight. The island produces many world renowned international acts, from the legendary Bob Marley to modern reggae artist Shaggy, and continues to inspire big budget entertainment. The popular Tom Cruise film Cocktail is set here and no less than six James Bond productions feature Jamaica. The historic city of Port Royal was even chosen as the central location for the Disney blockbuster franchise Pirates of the Caribbean. As such, Jamaica continues to enjoy a reputation as one of the top leisure vacation destinations in the world.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Capital: Kingston

Climate: Jamaica enjoys a tropical climate, so the weather is hot and humid, although it's a little more temperate further inland.

Currency: Jamaican dollar

Languages: English and Jamaican Patois.

Time Zone: UTC-5

ATTRACTIONS

There are plenty of things to see and do in Jamaica:

Activities | Sights? | Shopping? | Events? | Business Index?

LODGING

Island Outpost