Prehistory There is no archaeological evidence of any human presence on Jamaica until about 500 CE. A group known as the "Redware people" after their pottery arrived circa 600 CE, followed by the Taíno circa 800 CE, who most likely came from
South America. They practised an agrarian and fishing economy, and at their height are thought to have numbered some 60,000 people, grouped into around 200 villages headed by
caciques (chiefs). Though often thought to have become extinct following contact with Europeans, the Taíno in fact still inhabited Jamaica when the English took control of the island in 1655. The Jamaican National Heritage Trust is attempting to locate and document any remaining evidence of the Taíno.
Spanish rule (1509–1655) in
St. Ann Parish Christopher Columbus was the first European to see Jamaica, claiming the island for Spain after landing there in 1494 on his second voyage to the Americas. and
St. Ann's Bay was named "Saint Gloria" by Columbus, as the first sighting of the land. He later returned in 1503; however, he was shipwrecked and he and his crew were forced to live on Jamaica for a year while waiting to be rescued. One and a half kilometres west of St. Ann's Bay is the site of the first Spanish settlement on the island,
Sevilla, which was established in 1509 by
Juan de Esquivel but abandoned around 1524 because it was deemed unhealthy. The capital was moved to
Spanish Town, then called
St. Jago de la Vega, around 1534. Meanwhile, the Taínos began dying in large numbers, both from introduced diseases and from enslavement by the Spanish. Many slaves managed to escape, forming autonomous communities in remote and easily defended areas in the interior of Jamaica, mixing with the remaining Taino; these communities became known as
Maroons. They lived as
conversos and were often persecuted by the Spanish rulers, and some turned to
piracy against the Spanish Empire's shipping. By the early 17th century it is estimated that no more than 2,500–3,000 people lived on Jamaica.
Early British period was a
Caribbean pirate, privateer, plantation owner and slaveholder; he had first come to the West Indies as an indentured servant, like most of the early English colonists. The English began taking an interest in the island and, following a failed attempt to conquer
Santo Domingo on
Hispaniola,
Admiral William Penn and General
Robert Venables led an
invasion of Jamaica in 1655. Battles at
Ocho Rios in 1657 and the
Rio Nuevo in 1658 resulted in Spanish defeats; in 1660 the Maroon community under the leadership of
Juan de Bolas switched sides from the Spanish, and began supporting the English. With their help, the Spanish defeat was secured. In 1661 English civil government was formed and
Roundhead soldiers turned their attention to governance and agricultural responsibilities. When the English captured Jamaica, most Spanish colonists fled, with the exception of Spanish Jews, who chose to remain. Spanish slave holders freed their slaves before leaving. During the centuries of slavery,
Jamaican Maroons established free communities in the mountainous interior of Jamaica, where they maintained their freedom and independence for generations, under the leadership of Maroon leaders such as
Juan de Serras. Meanwhile, the Spanish made several attempts to re-capture the island, prompting the British to support pirates attacking Spanish ships in the Caribbean; as a result piracy became rampant on Jamaica, with the city of
Port Royal becoming notorious for its lawlessness. Spain later recognised English possession of the island with the
Treaty of Madrid (1670). After that, the English authorities sought to rein in the worst excesses of the pirates. In 1660, the population of Jamaica was about 4,500 white and 1,500 black. By the early 1670s, as the English developed sugar cane plantations worked by large numbers of slaves, black Africans formed a majority of the population. The
Irish in Jamaica also formed a large part of the island's early population, making up two-thirds of the white population on the island in the late 17th century, twice that of the English population. They were brought in as indentured labourers and soldiers after the conquest of 1655. The majority of Irish were transported by force as political prisoners of war from Ireland as a result of the ongoing
Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Migration of large numbers of Irish to the island continued into the 18th century. A limited form of local government was introduced with the creation of the
House of Assembly of Jamaica in 1664; however, it represented only a tiny number of rich plantation owners. In 1692, the colony was rocked by an
earthquake that resulted in several thousand deaths and the almost complete destruction of Port Royal.
18th–19th centuries During the 1700s the economy boomed, based largely on sugar and other crops for export such as
coffee,
cotton and
indigo. All these crops were worked by black slaves, who lived short and often brutal lives with no rights, being the property of a small planter-class. A large slave rebellion, known as
Tacky's War, broke out in 1760 but was defeated by the British and their Maroon allies. After the
second conflict in 1795–96, many Maroons from the Maroon town of
Cudjoe's Town (Trelawny Town) were expelled to
Nova Scotia and, later,
Sierra Leone. While planning the abolition of slavery, the British Parliament passed laws to improve conditions for slaves. They banned the use of whips in the field and flogging of women; informed planters that slaves were to be allowed religious instruction, and required a free day during each week when slaves could sell their produce, prohibiting Sunday markets to enable slaves to attend church. The House of Assembly in Jamaica resented and resisted the new laws. Members, with membership then restricted to European-descended Jamaicans, claimed that the slaves were content and objected to Parliament's interference in island affairs. Slave owners feared possible revolts if conditions were lightened. The British
abolished the slave trade in 1807, but not the institution itself. In 1831 a huge slave rebellion, known as the
Baptist War, broke out, led by the Baptist preacher
Samuel Sharpe. The rebellion resulted in hundreds of deaths and the destruction of many plantations, and led to ferocious reprisals by the plantocracy class. , accompanied by Revd
James Phillippo, proclaiming the
abolition of slavery in the colony of Jamaica, on 1 August 1838, from the King's House in
Spanish Town As a result of rebellions such as these, as well as the efforts of abolitionists, Britain outlawed slavery in its empire in 1834, with full
emancipation from chattel slavery declared in 1838. Many Jamaicans are descendants of South Asian and Chinese people. Over the next 20 years, several epidemics of
cholera,
scarlet fever, and
smallpox hit the island, killing almost 60,000 people (about 10 per day). Nevertheless, in 1871 the census recorded a population of 506,154 people, 246,573 of whom were males, and 259,581 females. Their races were recorded as 13,101 white, 100,346 coloured (known as the Browning Class), and 392,707 black. There was an economic slump in this period, with many Jamaicans living in poverty. Dissatisfaction with this, and continued racial discrimination and marginalisation of the black majority, led to the outbreak of the
Morant Bay rebellion in 1865, led by
Paul Bogle, which was put down by Governor
John Eyre with such brutality that he was recalled from his position. He was also one of the chief inspirations behind Rastafari, a religion founded in Jamaica in the 1930s that combined Christianity with an
Afrocentric theology focused on the figure of
Haile Selassie, Emperor of
Ethiopia. Despite occasional persecution, Rastafari grew to become an established faith on the island, later spreading abroad. The
Great Depression of the 1930s hit Jamaica hard. As part of the
British West Indian labour unrest of 1934–39, Jamaica saw numerous strikes, culminating in a strike in 1938 that turned into a riot. As a result, the British government instituted
a commission to look into the causes of the disturbances; their report recommended political and economic reforms in Britain's Caribbean colonies. A new House of Representatives was established in 1944, elected by universal adult suffrage.
Post-independence era Strong economic growth, averaging approximately 6% per year, marked the first ten years of independence under conservative JLP governments; these were led by successive Prime Ministers Alexander Bustamante,
Donald Sangster (who died of natural causes within two months of taking office) and
Hugh Shearer. In terms of foreign policy Jamaica became a member of the
Non-Aligned Movement, seeking to retain strong ties with Britain and the United States whilst also developing links with Communist states such as Cuba. However, the economy faltered in this period due to a combination of internal and external factors (such as the oil shocks). Having now de-emphasised socialism and adopting a more centrist position, Michael Manley and the PNP were
re-elected in 1989, winning 45 seats to the JLP's 15. In
2007 the PNP was defeated by the JLP by a narrow margin of 32 seats to 28, with a turnout of 61.46%. This election ended 18 years of PNP rule, and
Bruce Golding became the new prime minister. Golding's tenure (2007–2010) was dominated by the effects of the
global recession, as well as the fallout from
an attempt by Jamaican police and military to arrest drug lord
Christopher Coke in 2010 which erupted in violence, resulting in over 70 deaths. As a result of this incident Golding resigned and was replaced by Andrew Holness in 2011. Independence, however widely celebrated in Jamaica, has been questioned in the early 21st century. In 2011, a survey showed that approximately 60% of Jamaicans believe that the country would have been better off had it remained a British colony, with only 17% believing it would have been worse off, citing as problems years of social and fiscal mismanagement in the country. Holness and the JLP were defeated in the
2011 Jamaican general election, which saw Portia Simpson-Miller and the PNP return to power. The number of seats had been increased to 63, and the PNP swept to power with a landslide 42 seats to the JLP's 21. The voter turnout was 53.17%. Holness's JLP won the
2016 general election narrowly, defeating Simpson-Miller's PNP, on 25 February. The PNP won 31 seats to the JLP's 32. As a result, Simpson-Miller became Opposition Leader for a second time. The voter turnout dipped below 50% for the first time, registering just 48.37%. In the
2020 general election, Andrew Holness secured a second consecutive win for the Jamaica Labour Party, winning 49 seats to 14 won by the PNP, led this time by
Peter Phillips. The last time a consecutive win occurred for the JLP was in 1980. However, the turnout at this election was just 37%, probably affected by the coronavirus pandemic. However, this low turnout was a trend that continued in subsequent elections. In the
2025 Jamaican general election, Holness created history, securing a third consecutive term for the JLP, the first time the party had won three general elections in a row. However, this victory was achieved with a much-reduced majority. The JLP won 34 seats to the 29 won by the
Mark Golding led PNP. The turnout was again low, at just 39.5%. ==Government and politics==