HISTORY
Arawaks from South America had settled in Jamaica prior to Christopher
Columbus' first arrival to the island in 1494. During Spain's occupation of
the island, starting in 1510, the Arawaks were exterminated by disease, slavery,
and war. Spain brought the first African slaves to Jamaica in 1517. In 1655,
British forces seized the island, and in 1670, Great Britain gained formal
possession.
Sugar made Jamaica one of the most valuable possessions in the
world for more than 150 years. The British Parliament abolished
slavery as of August 1, 1834. After a long period of direct British
colonial rule, Jamaica gained a degree of local political control
in the late 1930s, and held its first election under full universal
adult suffrage in 1944. Jamaica joined nine other U.K. territories
in the West Indies Federation in 1958 but withdrew after Jamaican
voters rejected membership in 1961. Jamaica gained independence
in 1962, remaining a member of the Commonwealth.
Historically, Jamaican emigration has been heavy. Since the United Kingdom restricted emigration in 1967, the major flow has been to the United States and Canada. About 20,000 Jamaicans emigrate to the United States each year; another 200,000 visit annually. New York, Miami, Chicago, and Hartford are among the U.S. cities with a significant Jamaican population. Remittances from the expatriate communities in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, estimated at up to $1.6 billion per year, make increasingly significant contributions to Jamaica's economy.
