sugar cane

To start understanding why the British wanted to colonize Jamaica, we have to understand why Jamaica was potentially beneficial for Britain. Jamaica was a producer of a lot of things including the cacao plant, tobacco, and fruits, but most importantly to the British was Sugar Cane. This was particularly interesting to them and by colonizing them, they could have access to it. They also had access to a whole lot of slaves from Africa, which would make the process of harvesting the sugar cane easier and more efficient.

Morant Bay Rebellion

On October 1865, the Morant Rebellion started with people marching up to the courthouses in Jamaica, led by a preacher after the name of Paul Bogel. Hundreds of people marched up with sticks and stones, some being shot and killed. 25 people died in the protest for the fight against injustice and poverty.

The Seize of Jamaica

In 1866, Britain was finally able to capture Jamaica as its own and made it into a Crown Colony, which is a British Colony whose legislature and administration is controlled by the Crown, represented by a single governor. Britain only introduced self-rule to Jamaica after the year 1884, but for the most part, it was ruled by the governor and they had little to no rights. The area was mostly controlled by British officials and the upper class white people that now resided there. This is how it all begins…