History of Jamaica

(English)

The island of Jamaica was colonized by the Taino tribes prior to the arrival of Columbus in 1494. The Spanish enslaved the Tainos, who were so ravaged by their conflict with the Europeans and by foreign diseases that nearly the entire native population was extinct by 1600. The Spanish also transported hundreds of enslaved West Africans to the island.

In 1655, the English invaded Jamaica, defeating the Spanish colonists. Enslaved Africans seized the moment of political turmoil and fled to the island's interior, forming independent communities (known as the Maroons). Meanwhile, on the coast, the English built the settlement of Port Royal, which became a base of operations for pirates and privateers, including Captain Henry Morgan.

In the 18th century, sugarcane replaced piracy as English Jamaica's main source of income. The sugar industry was labour-intensive and the English brought hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans to Jamaica, so that by 1800 black Jamaicans outnumbered whites by a ratio of twenty to one. Enslaved Jamaicans mounted over a dozen major uprisings during the 18th century, including Tacky's revolt in 1760. There were also periodic skirmishes between the British and the Maroons, culminating in the First Maroon War of the 1730s and the Second Maroon War of the 1790s. Early inhabitants of Jamaica named the land "Xaymaca", meaning "Land of wood and water".

(Patois)

Jumieka a wan a di bigis Kyaribiyan ailan dem, pan we Arawak nietiv piipl yuuz tu liv. Wen Krixtifa Kolombos riich di ailan, im uon op di lan fi Spien. Bot stil, i neva riili get kolonaiz antil afta im ded. Fyuu dekied afta im ded, almuos aal a di Arawak dem wehn ded aaf. Spien afi difen di konchri gens nof nof ried fran di bokanier dem pan di mien siti, Spanish Toun. Ingglan ivenchali kyapcha di ailan ina 1655, suh di Spanish dem lego sum a di slave dem. Di Spanish dem did kum back inna 1658 fi try fi recyaptcha Jumieka, but dem did lose tuh di English agen.

Jumieka den go ton bies fi di haparieshan a di bokanier dem, inkluudn Kyaptin Henry Morgan. Chuu evribadi wehn fried a di bokanier dem, dem manij fi protek di ailan fram di ada koluonial powa dem. Afrikan piipl wehn get kyapcha, kidnap, ahn fuos ina slievri fi wok pahn plaantieshan wen shugakien ton di ailan bigis expuot.

Nof nof sliev kom a Jumieka chuu di Atlantik sliev chried wen ensliev Afrikan piipl kom a Naat Amerika. Fram de taim de, wuoliip a rieshal tenshan wehn de bout, an Jumieka wehn ab wan a di haiyis riet a sliev ribelyan outa aal a di Kyaribiyan ailan dem. Afta di British kroun abalish slievri, di Jumiekan de taat wok tuwaadz indipendens. Sins indipendens, di konchri hexpiiriens nof palitikal ahn ikanamik distorbans, we di kraim prablem we no tap gruo mek wos. Stil, di konchri kyan proud se i prajuus fyuu chreng palitikal liidaz.