- Jamaica was once inhabited by Arawak natives
- First sighted by the second voyage of Christopher Columbus on May 5, 1494
-The Spanish settled in Jamaica in 1509
-In 1655 Jamaica was conquered by the English, although the Spanish did not relinquish their claim to the island until 1670
-After the British Crown abolished slavery in 1834, the Jamaicans began working toward independence
- First sighted by the second voyage of Christopher Columbus on May 5, 1494
-The Spanish settled in Jamaica in 1509
-In 1655 Jamaica was conquered by the English, although the Spanish did not relinquish their claim to the island until 1670
-After the British Crown abolished slavery in 1834, the Jamaicans began working toward independence