![]() ![]() The journey from the African coast to the Caribbean took on average five to eight weeks in good weather. ![]() Once captured, they were forcefully brought to the African ports of departure in chains where they awaited the arrival of a slaver. The villages were raided to get sufficient numbers for the voyage to the West Indies, and in some cases, the Africans consisted of prisoners of war. The inhumane treatment for the Africans began at the point of capture. Most of the African captives came from the Gold Coast (present day Ghana, Togo and Benin) and the Bight of Biafra (including present day Nigeria, Cameroon and the Equatorial Guinea). Over time, the ranks of the Maroons were swelled by Africans who sought freedom from enslavement on the plantations of the English.Ĭlose to 1,000,000 enslaved Africans were imported to Jamaica. Here, they interbred with the free Ta'no and became the Maroons. Many of these Africans fled to the interior. During 16, the Spanish freed and recruited the enslaved Africans in their battle against the English. When the English invaded Jamaica in 1655 and subsequently captured the island, the enslavement of Africans became far more degrading. These servants did not come directly from Africa, but from European countries where African slavery was already institutionalised. Until then, the only Africans on the island were personal household servants of a few settlers. Bartholomew las Casas, a Spanish priest, recommended the use of Africans in Jamaica and other Spanish territories when Indian labour had diminished. In retaliation, many indigenous people took their lives, while others migrated to the interior and established free settlements.Īccording to Philip Sherlock and Hazel Bennett (1998), when the Spanish settlers found their labour force depleted, they turned to Africa for replacements. Others died because they fell victims to famine, European diseases, such as smallpox, and some were brutally killed by the Spanish when dogs were used to subdue them to work. Many of the Ta'no died as a result of exhaustion on the plantations. This method of forced labour resulted in the decimation of the Ta'no in a relatively short time. The Spanish method of enslavement was called the Encomienda System, which required the Ta'no to work on Spanish plantations and in their mines. Sign up for The Gleaner’s morning and evening newsletters. In less than a century, the Ta'no died as a result of Spanish enslavement, imported diseases and Spanish brutality. ![]() The arrival of the Spanish in 1494 led to the decimation of the indigenous Ta'no. The period of enslavement in Jamaica began with the first European colonisers, the Spanish. An understanding of our past and the experiences of our ancestors is important as we continue to build our country. As Bob Marley sings, "If you know your history, then you would know where you coming from". This re-introduction of Emancipation Day provides the opportunity for us to reflect on the journey of our ancestors in their struggle for freedom. In 1997, the then government re-introduced Emancipation Day as a public holiday and Independence Day was fixed to August 6. It was replaced by Independence Day, which was then recognised on the first Monday in August. The 'First of August' celebrations, however, was discontinued in 1962, when Jamaica gained Independence. Emancipation Day was officially introduced as a public holiday in Jamaica in 1893. ![]()
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