Happy Independence Day Jamaica!

[The Antagonist]

Today is the day that the tropical island of Jamaica gained full independence from England.

England pussied out twice here too.

The English Admiral William Penn (father of William Penn of Pennsylvania) and General Robert Venables seized the island in 1655. During its first 200 years of English/British rule, Jamaica became one of the world's leading sugar-exporting nations. It produced more than 77,000 tons of sugar annually between 1820 and 1824, achieved through the extensive use of imported enslaved African labourers. After the abolition of the slave trade, the British imported Indian and Chinese workers as indentured servants in the early 1800s to supplement the labour pool. Descendants of such Asian indentured servants continue to reside in Jamaica today.

By the beginning of the 19^th century, the United Kingdom's heavy reliance on slavery resulted in blacks (Africans) outnumbering whites (Europeans) by a ratio of almost 20 to 1. Europeans feared possible revolts. Following a series of rebellions and changing attitudes in Great Britain, the nation formally abolished slavery in 1834, with full emancipation from chattel slavery declared in 1838.

During the 1800s, the British established a number of botanical gardens. These included the Castleton Garden in 1862, set up to replace the Bath Garden which was subject to flooding. Created in the 1779s, Bath Garden was the site for planting breadfruit brought to Jamaica from the Pacific by Captain William Bligh. Other gardens were the the Cinchona Plantation in 1868 and the Hope Garden founded in 1874.

The English Admiral William Penn (father of William Penn of Pennsylvania) and General Robert Venables seized the island in 1655. During its first 200 years of English/British rule, Jamaica became one of the world's leading sugar-exporting nations. It produced more than 77,000 tons of sugar annually between 1820 and 1824, achieved through the extensive use of imported enslaved African labourers. After the abolition of the slave trade, the British imported Indian and Chinese workers as indentured servants in the early 1800s to supplement the labour pool. Descendants of such Asian indentured servants continue to reside in Jamaica today.

By the beginning of the 19^th century, the United Kingdom's heavy reliance on slavery resulted in blacks (Africans) outnumbering whites (Europeans) by a ratio of almost 20 to 1. Europeans feared possible revolts. Following a series of rebellions and changing attitudes in Great Britain, the nation formally abolished slavery in 1834, with full emancipation from chattel slavery declared in 1838.

During the 1800s, the British established a number of botanical gardens. These included the Castleton Garden in 1862, set up to replace the Bath Garden which was subject to flooding. Created in the 1779s, Bath Garden was the site for planting breadfruit brought to Jamaica from the Pacific by Captain William Bligh. Other gardens were the the Cinchona Plantation in 1868 and the Hope Garden founded in 1874.

And then again gaining full independence in 1962.

In 1872 Kingston became the capital of the island.

In 1945, Sir Horace Hector Hearne became Chief Justice and Keeper of the Records in Jamaica. He headed the Supreme Court, Kingston between 1945 and 1950/1951. He then moved to Kenya where he was appointed Chief Justice.

Jamaica slowly gained increasing independence from the United Kingdom. In 1958, it became a province in the Federation of the West Indies, a federation among the British West Indies. Jamaica attained full independence by leaving the federation in 1962.

I personally have friends who live in Jamaica and have been tehre to celebrate their Independence day festivities.

They celebrate much the same as we do in the U.S.A. - it's a BIG DEAL!