What year did the British come to Jamaica?

Answer 1

In 1655 on May 10, a body of English sailors and soldiers landed at Passage Fort, in Kingston harbour, and marched towards Spanish Town. They were commanded by Admiral Penn and General Venables, who had been sent by Oliver Cromwell to capture the island of Hispaniola. Penn and Venables failed to take the city of Santo Domingo and sailed on to Jamaica. On May 11, the Spaniards surrendered. They were allowed a few days to leave the island. Some of them went to Cuba, but others secretly went to the northside of Jamaica. In the month of October, General Sedgwicke arrived from England and took charge of the colony. Many of the English sailors and soldiers, and the people who came with Sedgwicke, died from the fevers of the country and the hard food and water they consumed. Sedgwicke himself died shortly after his arrival, and General Brayne was sent out to manage the affairs of the colony. He expected he would be attacked by the Spaniards of Cuba, and so he fortified the positions occupied by the English. General Brayne died in 1656, and General Doyley, an officer of the army, became Governor. In 1661 a Commission arrived from England formally appointing Doyley as Governor of Jamaica, and commanding him to establish a Council to assist him in the government of the colony. This Council was to be elected by the colonists. In 1662Lord Windsor arrived as Governor of Jamaica. He brought with him a Royal Proclamation declaring that all children born of English subjects in Jamaica should be regarded as free citizens of England. Lord Windsor retired from the Government of Jamaica within the year, and Sir Charles Lyttleton became Deputy Governor. There were then 4,205 persons in Jamaica. Santiago de Cuba was captured and looted by Admiral Myngs. In 1663 an expedition sailed from Jamaica to attack the Spanish town of Campeche, in Central America. After some misfortunes, this effort succeeded, and much booty and many ships were taken by the English. In the same year we first hear of the English trying to suppress the Maroons. These were descendants of former slaves of the Spanish. They escaped to the mountains and forests in the interior, where they lived a wild, free life and, it was rumoured, murdered every white person they came across. An expedition was sent against them under Juan de Bolas, a former Maroon who had aided the English. The soldiers were defeated. Peace was patched up shortly afterwards between the Maroons and the English, but it did not last for long. In 1664 the first House of Assembly was called together. It consisted of twenty members elected by the people. It met at Spanish Town and passed 45 laws for the government of the colony.

Answer 2

In 1944 Britain granted Jamaica a new constitution that provided for limited internal self government. In 1959 Jamaica became a member of the West Indies Federation until Britain dissolved it in 1962. On Aug. 6, 1962 Jamaica gained full independence within the Commonwealth with Alexander Bustamente as the country's first Prime Minister. In the same year Jamaica joined the UN and in 1969 joined the Organization of American States (OAS). In 1967 Bustamente retired and was succeeded by Donald Sangster, who in turn was succeeded by Hugh Shearer after his sudden death. During 1968 there were the Rodney Riots and associated allegations of corruption. In 1972 Michael Manley was elected Prime Minister and embarked on a radical land and social reform program which involved closer foreign policy ties with Cuba. In 1980 following growing economic difficulties, Manley called for a general election which resulted in violent riots between various armed gangs who supported each of the two main parties. Over 700 people were killed and in Oct. 1980 Edward Seaga won the elections. Prime Minister Seaga reversed many of his predecessor policies and cut diplomatic relations with Cuba. In 1983 Jamaica and several other Caribbean nations joined the US in the invasion of Grenada, to overthrow its socialist government. In the same year Prime Minister Seaga called for general elections which were boycotted by the main opposition party and Seaga was re-elected. In Feb. 1989 Manley won the general elections and was returned to office. In Nov. 1990 a new plan for privatization of some public services was announced. In June 1991 Jamaica entered into a new agreement with the IMF that allowed for a US $59 million standby arrangement and some US $21 million in compensatory finance. In Sept. 1991 the government announced plans to allow Jamaicans to hold foreign currency accounts in an attempt to stifle the black market while it also continued its program of economic liberalization and deregulation. In Oct. 1991 a 10% consumption tax was introduced to replace 8 other taxes and duties. In 1992 there were gun battles between rival political supporters of the PNP and the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) after the death in custody of a JLP activist, Lester Coke and the murder of his son that result in the deaths of 8 people. In March 1992 Prime Minister Michael Manley and leader of the People's National Party (PNP) for 23 years left politics due to ill health and was succeeded by Percival J. Patterson. In the same month sugar workers went on two weeks strike while civil servants threatened to strike in protest to the planned loss of some 8,000 jobs. In Sept. 1992 demonstrators blocked roads and burned tires in protest to the increase in public transport fares and school fees. In March 1993 Prime Minister Patterson and the PNP won general elections convincingly while the JLP announced it would boycott the Parliament in protest to the "fraudulent" election conduct and the "partisan" role of the police. In June 1993 the government announced its budget which included the increase of the consumption tax from 10% to 12.5%. In July 1993 the JLP leader, Edward Seaga called of the boycott after the government announced electoral reforms and appointed a new police chief.

Answer 3

in the year of the 1494

Answer 4

1655

Answer 5

1672

Answer 6

1655