Their faces were broad and their noses flat. They grew cassava, sweet potatoes, maize corn , fruits, vegetables, cotton and tobacco. Tobacco was grown on a large scale as smoking was their most popular pastime. They built their villages all over the island but most of them settled on the coasts and near rivers as they fished to get food. Fish was also a major part of their diet.
The Arawaks led quiet and peaceful lives until they were destroyed by the Spaniards some years after Christopher Columbus discovered the island in On May 5, Christopher Columbus, the European explorer, who sailed west to get to the East Indies and came upon the region now called the West Indies, landed in Jamaica.
This occurred on his second voyage to the West Indies. Columbus was soon to find out that there was no gold in Jamaica. Initially, Columbus thought these Indians were hostile, as they attacked his men when they tried to land on the island.
As he was determined to annex the island in the name of the king and queen of Spain, he was not deterred. Columbus also needed wood and water and a chance to repair his vessels. He sailed down the coast and docked at Discovery Bay. The Arawaks there were also hostile to the Spaniards. Some of the Arawaks were killed and wounded in this attack. Columbus was then able to land and claim the island. The Spaniards, when they came, tortured and killed the Arawaks to get their land.
They were so overworked and ill-treated that within a short time they had all died. The process was aided by the introduction of European diseases to which the Arawaks had little or no resistance. The island remained poor under Spanish rule as few Spaniards settled here. Jamaica served mainly as a supply base: food, men, arms and horse were shipped here to help in conquering the American mainland.
Fifteen years later in , after their first visit to the island, the first Spanish colonists came here under the Spanish governor Juan de Esquivel. They first settled in the St. The first town was called New Seville or Sevilla la Nueva. Towns were little more than settlements.
The only town that was developed was Spanish Town, the old capital of Jamaica, then called St. Jago de la Vega. It was the centre of government and trade and had many churches and convents. The little attention the colony received from Spain soon led to a major reason for internal strife. This contributed to the weakening of the colony in the last years of Spanish occupation. The governors were not getting proper support from home and quarrels with church authorities undermined their control.
The Spaniards surrendered to the English, freed their slaves and then fled to Cuba. It was this set of freed slaves and their descendants who became known as the Maroons.
The early period of English settlement in Jamaica, drew much attention to the buccaneers based at Port Royal. Buccaneering had begun on the islands of Tortuga and Hispaniola. They were a wild, rough and ruthless set of sea rovers. They took their loot of gold, silver and jewels to Port Royal. Port Royal prior to this time was an insignificant town in Jamaica. The greatest buccaneer captain of all was Henry Morgan.
He started out as a pirate and later became a privateer. Morgan mercilessly raided Spanish fleet and colonies. He kept the Spaniards busy defending their coasts that they had little time to attack Jamaica.
Morgan died in A violent earthquake destroyed Port Royal on June 7, The survivors of the earthquake who re-settled in Kingston abandoned the Port. Port Royal became an important naval base in the eighteenth century. The English settlers concerned themselves with growing crops that could easily be sold in England.
Tobacco, indigo and cocoa soon gave way to sugar which became the main crop for the island. The sugar industry grew so rapidly that the 57 sugar estates in the island in grew to nearly by Enslaved Africans filled the large labour force required for the industry. The colonists were impressed with the performance and endurance of the Africans, as well as the fact that African labour was cheaper and more promising.
They continued to ship Africans to the West Indies to be sold to planters who forced them to work on sugar plantations. The slave trade became a popular and profitable venture for the colonists. The voyage was so named because the journey of a British slaver was 3-sided, starting from England with trade goods, to Africa where these were exchanged for slaves.
Afterwards, the journey continued to the West Indies where the slaves were landed and sugar, rum and molasses taken aboard for the final leg of the journey back to England. The slaves, however, were unhappy with their status, so they rebelled whenever they could. Many of them were successful in running away from the plantations and joining the Maroons in the almost inaccessible mountains.
James, led by Sam Sharpe. He has since been named a National Hero. The Maroons also had several wars against the English. In and after two major Maroon Wars, treaties were signed with the British. In the treaty of , they were given land and rights as free men. In return they were to stop fighting and help to recapture run-away slaves. This treaty resulted in a rift among the Maroons as they did not all agree that they should return run-away slaves to the plantations. The frequent slave rebellions in the Caribbean was one factor that led to the abolition of the slave trade and slavery.
Humanitarian groups such as the Quakers publicly protested against slavery and the slave trade. They formed an anti slavery committee which was joined by supporters such as Granville Sharp, James Ramsay, Thomas Clarkson and later on, William Wilberforce. On January 1, the Abolition Bill was passed. Emancipation and apprenticeship came into effect in and full freedom was granted in The immediate post slavery days were very difficult for the poorer classes.
Though most of the English planters had left the islands and new owners were running the plantations, the old oligarchic system still remained. The will of the masses was not deemed important and hence ignored. Stay at all-inclusive resort Sandals Negril , which was designed for couples! Bringing the family? Beaches Negril features a spectacular water park. What good is travelling to a foreign country without sampling the local beer?
Leave Jamaica with no regrets, and if you are a drinker try at least one Red Stripe beer. A lesser known fact is that the recipe for Red Stripe was produced in Illinois, in the United States.
The recipe was purchased and brought to Jamaica, and the beer has since been brewed on the island. Even the mini bar in your room is free of use and filled with Red Stripe. Pretty much anything can be spiced up with jerk sauce, from pork and ribs, to fish tacos and chicken. The recipes for jerk sauces vary, as does the application to meats, fish, and other dishes, but the name and effect remains the same.
In fact, the Jerk Shack is one of the more popular restaurants on-site. See more restaurants that are included at Beaches Resorts. Rum connoisseurs will be happy to know that Jamaica has one of the highest numbers of rum bars , or rum shops as they are called in the Caribbean, per square mile.
The island is also known for being the place that refined the already established rum making process, making it into its own resulting in the creation of numerous full-bodied and rich rums. Jamaica takes credit for having the most expensive rum in the world, in the form of Jamaican distiller J.
Port Royal in Jamaica has quite a wicked pirate history, nothing that you would be able to tell by looking at it today; it once belonged on the list of the most dangerous cities in the world. That was back in the 16th century, and around that time the city had been occupied by pirates led by the legendary Henry Morgan. For the pirates there at the time, Port Royal was the ideal operating base, particularly for its proximity to the trade routes.
Pirates played a significant part in defending the city at various points in history as Port Royal transitioned from significant highs, to grazing lows. Anti-piracy laws were passed in , and the years that followed saw the city no longer being a safe haven for pirates.
Port Royal was destroyed in by a tsunami, and again in It tells the story of the Jamaican bobsled team who participated in the Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. In truth, Jamaica was the first tropical country to send a bobsledding team to the Winter Olympics. They were hardly prepared for the event, and winded up borrowing spare sleds from other countries to compete , but their presence encouraged the unity of the participants who demonstrated admirable sporting camaraderie.
They did not finish the race after losing control of the sled and crashing in a final run, but their bold move would inspire other Jamaican bobsledding teams to participate in the event in years to follow.
This traditional dish is made with the ackee fruit, and salted codfish , with assorted spices for added flavor. The dish was once ranked by National Geographic as the second-best national dish in the world , directly under the United States hamburger! Options abound in Jamaica when it comes to finding the perfect all-inclusive resort. Staying at the resorts is generally seen as a relaxing and fun way to experience Jamaica. There are three major areas that feature the most luxurious all-inclusive resorts: Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Negril.
Visiting Jamaica for the first time? Start with Negril! Tip: Not all all-inclusive resorts are equal. Getting day drunk in the sun, might give you a nasty headache if the resort is serving low-quality alcohol. Beaches family friendly and Sandals Resorts in Jamaica adults-only are a good example of serving a wide variety of gourmet food and premium liquors.
Even watersports, scuba diving trips, golf and airport transfers are included in your stay! People who live in the islands sometimes take for granted that there are so many natural wonders all around them, including waterfalls. Visitors however, who are often only on island for a week at a time, for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity do not. Checking out at least one waterfall should be a priority while in Jamaica, as the breathtaking falls are one of those things Jamaica is most known for.
Picture: Understated elegance and exquisitely private, this is Sandals Royal Plantation. There is something truly special about a place that preserves elements of its history, in order to share that with the world - no matter how harsh this history was. There are many other historic sites that are yours to explore in Jamaica, a land with a troubled, but rich history.
Both peaceful and exciting, Bamboo River Rafting is a must while in Jamaica. You can choose to go with a group, or have a more private affair, which honeymooners enjoy. Colorful birds, exotic flowers, and a river glimmering in the sunshine, all of it encapsulated in greenery, will surely be reason enough for you to fall more in love with Jamaica.
Blue Mountain Coffee is a great gift for yourself, or a cool souvenir. While in Jamaica there are many opportunities to learn authentic Jamaican cooking, it can be difficult to recreate some of the recipes without the right ingredients. A trip to the local market in downtown Montego Bay, or to any supermarket in Jamaica will lead you in the right direction when it comes to acquiring anything from spices, to Jamaican Jerk Seasoning.
Buy enough jerk seasoning that you can share with friends or family, and still keep some for yourself! Any of these would make for a great holiday souvenir from Jamaica. While in Jamaica you may be approached by vendors either on the beach or out in the city trying to sell you wood carvings, among other craft items.
Some of the carvings are exceptionally done , but you may notice that prices vary depending on the vendor, and location. Some visitors recommend negotiating for the best price, which may end up being as little as half of the original price.
It may be worth finding out whether there are restrictions in carrying these items onto your flight, especially if your carving is made of unfinished wood.
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