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Portia Simpson Miller, original name Portia Lucretia Simpson, (born December 12, 1945, Wood Hall, St. Catherine parish, Jamaica), Jamaican politician who served as the country's first female prime minister (2006-07; 2012-16).

Portia Simpson received her early education at Marlie Hill Primary School and St. Martin's High School. After her graduation from high school, she studied at the Jamaica Commercial Institute and worked as a secretary and in the field of social services. She became involved in politics as a member of the liberal People's National Party (PNP) and in 1974 was elected to the city council of the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (essentially, the Kingston metropolitan area) as a representative from the Trench Town area. In 1976 she won election to the House of Representatives from the constituency of St. Andrew South Western (part of the Kingston metropolitan area); she was reelected in 1980. With the rest of her party, she sat out the 1983 general elections but retook her parliamentary seat in the 1989 elections and retained it thereafter.

Simpson was parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and, later, in the Office of the Prime Minister (1977-80) during the first administration of Michael Manley. She was named Minister of Labour, Welfare, and Sports in 1989 and stayed in the cabinet for 17 years while the PNP remained in power. Her portfolio was subsequently modified to Labour and Welfare (1993-95), Labour, Social Security and Sports (1995-2000), Tourism and Sports (2000-02), and Local Government, Community Development and Sport (2002-06). During her tenure she oversaw reform of the country's overseas farmworker employment programs. She was also a noted public supporter of Jamaica's athletic teams and established the Sports Development Foundation (1995), an independent body that, among other things, supported community and school sports programs and funded the building of stadiums and playing fields. During the same period, she also rose through the PNP's ranks, serving as her party's vice president (1978-2006) and heading its Women's Movement (1983-2006).

Well into her career in public service, Simpson earned a bachelor's degree in public administration from Union Institute and University in North Miami Beach, Florida (1997). She also completed the Leaders in Development executive education program of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government (1999). In 1998 she married business executive Errald Miller and added his surname after hers.

In 2002 the leader of the PNP, Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, announced that he would retire from politics before the next elections. In preparation for that event, in February 2006 the party held a leadership election that was won by Simpson Miller, who edged out her male rivals with a campaign that featured the distinctive slogan "Come to Mama." Upon Patterson's retirement the following month, Simpson Miller took office as the country's first female prime minister. Her administration worked to abolish health care fees for children and pledged greater government aid to first-time home buyers. Simpson Miller and her party enjoyed popularity among the public, but her administration's reputation was damaged by a financial scandal and by its perceived slowness in providing disaster relief after Hurricane Dean in mid-August 2007. In the scheduled general elections held soon after, in September, the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) bested the PNP-winning 33 parliamentary seats to the PNP's 27-and Simpson Miller was replaced by Bruce Golding as prime minister, though she retained her seat in Parliament.

After Golding's resignation in October 2011, his successor, Andrew Holness, called for early elections to be held on December 29. The PNP, still headed by Simpson Miller, won convincingly, with 42 seats to the JLP's 21. In her January 2012 inaugural speech, the newly reinstalled prime minister emphasized her administration's commitment to regional integration and cooperation. During her term in office the government began reforming the country's drug laws; in February 2015 it decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana. Simpson Miller left office in March 2016 after the PNP's loss by a small margin to the JLP in the February general election. The following year she stepped down as leader of the PNP and resigned from Parliament. She received the Jamaican Order of the Nation in 2006.

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Portia Simpson Miller | Biography & Facts

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Portia Simpson Miller, Jamaican politician who served as the country's first female prime minister (2006-07; 2012-16). She also served as leader of the People's National Party from 2006 to 2017. Learn more about Simpson's life and career, including her numerous government posts.

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Jamaican women have recorded a number of great accomplishments over the years, oftentimes creating history on the global stage. Today, in honour of International Women's Day and Women's History Month, we celebrate the achievements of 16 trailblazing ladies:

1. Alia Atkinson - On December 6, 2014, she won gold in the 100m breaststroke at the FINA World Short Course Championships in Doha, Qatar, making her the first black woman and first Jamaican to win a swimming world title. To make her accomplishment that more impressive and historic, Atkinson equalled the world record of 1:2.36.

2. DCP Jevene Bent - She joined the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) in 1976, and rose through the ranks to become Jamaica's and the region's first female Deputy Commissioner of Police in 2003. During her time in the JCF, Bent was twice called on to act in the capacity of Police Commissioner - 2004 and 2007.

3. Veronica Campbell-Brown - One of the most successful sprinters in history, she has been a force since her high school days. She is the only Caribbean woman to win world titles at the youth, junior and senior level of an athletic event - one of only nine athletes in the world. With the exception of the Commonwealth Games, she has won multiple gold medals at all other international competitions.

4. Tessanne Chin - She became the first non-American to win the Emmy-winning US talent show The Voice, claiming the crown in the fifth season. Chin was also the first 'Voice' contestant to hit #1 on the iTunes singles chart not once but twice, and three of her covers - Bridge Over Troubled Water, I Have Nothing and Let It Be, hit the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She has since reached #4 on the Billboard Heatseekers album charts with her debut Republic Records LP, Count On My Love.

5. Dr Una Clarke - Elected in 1991, she was the first Caribbean-born woman elected to the New York City legislature. She was born in St Elizabeth and migrated to the States as a foreign student in 1958.

6. Iris Collins - She was the first woman elected Member of Parliament in Jamaica, winning the St James North Western seat in 1944.

7. Carole Crawford - The then 20-year-old, five-foot three-inch beauty, took home the coveted Miss World crown for Jamaica in 1963, just months after the island became an independent nation. The first Jamaican woman to be crowned Miss World, she was the first woman of colour to win the title.

8. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce - She became the first Caribbean woman to win the 100 metre title, at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. She created more history at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Russia, winning the 100m, 200m and 4x100m events, becoming the first woman to complete the triple in a single World Championships. Fraser-Pryce was also appointed the first national Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF Jamaica on February 22, 2010.

9. Deon Hemmings - She is the first Jamaican woman to win an individual Olympic title, copping gold in the 400m hurdles at the Atlanta Games in 1996.

10. Zaila McCalla - She is the island's first female Chief Justice, appointed in 2007. She succeeded Justice Lensley Wolfe.

11. Jody-Anne Maxwell - She was the first Jamaican and only non-American (excluding US-ruled Puerto Rico) to win Scripps National Spelling Bee in 1998.

12. Madame Rose Leon - She was the first Jamaican woman to become a government minister, and the only Jamaican to have served in both a JLP and PNP Cabinet. She was also elected Chairman of the JLP in 1948, becoming the first female chairman of a political party in the Caribbean.

13. Paula Llewellyn - She is the first woman to be appointed Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), appointed in 2008. Prior to this, she became the first woman to act in the position of Director in 1999, and in 2003, she became the first woman to be appointed in the position of Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions.

14. Dr Blossom O'Meally-Nelson - She has the distinction of being the first female Postmaster General of Jamaica, appointed in 2000. Her six-year stint in this position resulted in the establishment of the Postal Corporation of Jamaica for the commercialisation and modernisation of the post.

15. Portia Simpson Miller - She rose from humble beginnings to create history as Jamaica's first female Prime Minister in 2007. She was again elected PM at the 2011 national polls.

16. Molly Rhone - She is the first and only Jamaican female to head an international sporting body, the Interna-tional Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA). She was selected to head IFNA at its 2003 congress held in Jamaica.

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Jamaican women have recorded a number of great accomplishments over the years, oftentimes creating history on the global stage. Today, in honour of International Women's Day and Women's History Month, we celebrate the achievements of 16 trailblazing ladies: Alia Atkinson - On December 6, 2014, she won gold in the 100m breaststroke at the FINA World Short Course Championships in Doha, Qatar, making her the first black woman and first Jamaican to win a swimming world title.

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Neurosurgeon Dr. Odette Harris of Stanford University is the first black woman to become a Professor of Neurosurgery at an Ivy League school in the United States. She is also the first black woman to be named a professor of neurosurgery since Dr. Alexa Canady, a specialist in pediatric neurosurgery, rose to that position at Wayne State University in 1981. Dr. Canady worked in Minnesota and at Henry Ford in Detroit

Before her promotion at Stanford, Dr. Harris was an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and the Director of Brain Injury at Stanford's School of Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Harris is the Associate Chief of Staff of Polytrauma at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System and the Site Director/Principal Investigator of the Defense Veterans and Brain Injury Center in Palo Alto.

After she completed her residency, she received the William Van Wagenen Fellowship from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. She is also a Clayman Institute Faculty Research Fellow. Dr. Harris is a graduate of Dartmouth College, receiving her MD from Stanford's School of Medicine, where she also completed her internship and residency at the university's Medical Center. She has an MPH from the University of California at Berkeley.

In a 2017 interview in which she hoped to inspire young girls to pursue careers in science, Dr. Harris said she first became interested in math in grade school and in high school became increasingly interested in science "as an integrated component to mathematics." She attended an all-girls' school and was taught science by a woman, an experience that empowered her when she decided to become a doctor.

When asked if she faced problems related to her gender in pursuing her scientific interests, Dr. Harris noted that "race and gender are inextricably linked and that Dartmouth had "a lot of issues with race" when she started as a freshman. She acknowledged that race played a role in her experience as a doctor, noting, "You're black, you're a woman, you're in an all-white hospital - patients are constantly reminding you of that. I could list probably a hundred different experiences where I was asked to empty the garbage, or take out the trays, or clean out the toilets when I was just there to use the bathroom myself."

When asked if she thinks women bring something unique to science, Dr. Harris replied, "I do, but I also think that everybody has something. In answering the question, well, should I say, I do think women have more to offer? I think we're then discounting the male perspective. My answer is that I feel like we all have that little slither, that unique thing that we bring, regardless of what we look like, regardless of what gender we are."

Dr. Harris, who is Jamaican, received a Scientific Award from the Caribbean Association Neuroscience Symposium/University Hospital of the West Indies in 2011.

Information and Photo Source: Stanford
Revised March 10, 2018, to include Dr. Alexa Canady

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Jamaican Neurosurgeon is now the first black woman to become an Ivy League Professor of Neurosurgery in the United States - Jamaicans.com

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Neurosurgeon Dr. Odette Harris of Stanford University is the first black woman to become a Professor of Neurosurgery at an Ivy League school in the United States. She is also the first black woman to be named a professor of neurosurgery since Dr. Alexa Canady, a specialist in pediatric neurosurgery, rose to that position at [...]

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16 JAMAICAN WOMEN WHO CREATED HISTORY (STRONG BLACK WOMEN)

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Lady Saw - Chat To Mi Back | Official Music Video

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Koffee talks on her life changing, influences, Toast, Throne and more

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Jamaica: How Women Are Powering the Arts in Kingston [FITZ HENLEY | WORLD CITIZEN]

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Story Highlights

Jamaica's most decorated female athlete, Merlene Joyce Ottey, has once again been honoured by the government for 20 years of outstanding achievement on the track.

An eight-foot, 700 pounds bronze statue of the world's most prolific and durable female sprinter, was unveiled yesterday (Dec. 28) at the National Stadium by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson.

Jamaica's most decorated female athlete, Merlene Joyce Ottey, has once again been honoured by the government for 20 years of outstanding achievement on the track.

An eight-foot, 700 pounds bronze statue of the world's most prolific and durable female sprinter, was unveiled yesterday (Dec. 28) at the National Stadium by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson.

The statue, which was sculpted by Basil Watson, depicts Ottey with her right hand stretched to the sky.

It was commissioned by the National Commission on Sports through the Urban Development Corporation (UDC).

In addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister Patterson, who is the chairman of the National Commission on Sports, informed that the decision to erect and unveil the statue of Jamaica's sprint queen had been long in coming.

"Your life is one of legendary endurance," he said to Ottey.

"From Moscow to Sydney, you showed the world that Jamaica is a force to be reckoned with in athletics. You have always displayed determination and grit. Your success in track and field is unparalleled," the Prime Minister noted.

He said that even though Ottey now resided outside of Jamaica, "we know we can't take the Jamaican out of you. No matter where you roam this will always be your home. We love you and we shall always cherish everything that you achieved while emblazoned in the black, green and gold".

Ottey last competed for Jamaica at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and since then has attained citizenship to reside in the central European country of Slovenia and presently competes for that country.

She competed for Jamaica at the senior level from 1980 to 2000, during which time she won several medals for Jamaica in Olympic and world championship events, including a gold medal in the 200 metres at the 1991 Tokyo World Athletics Championships in Japan.

Minister of Local Government, Community Development and Sports, Portia Simpson Miller, also paid tribute to the Jamaican track legend for her longevity in the sport.

"Age is just a number. She redefines what a person over 40 can do in sports today. Merlene is one of the greatest Jamaican athletes of all time and undoubtedly the greatest Jamaican female athlete of all time," Minister Simpson Miller noted.

The Sports Minister also informed that plans were far advanced for the establishment of a sports museum on the fourth floor of the National Stadium in 2006.

In her response, Ottey said that it had always been the "greatest pleasure and honour" to compete in the black, green and gold colours of Jamaica.

"I live in Slovenia but I will always be Jamaican. I will also offer all my assistance to Jamaican athletes and track and field fraternity whenever I can," she stated.

She informed that her coaching staff had brought in requisite machines to carry out tests and assist the country's teenage sprint sensation, Usain Bolt, who is presently injured.

Meanwhile, the occasion was also used to rededicate the statue of Jamaican track and field great, Donald Quarrie, who competed and won several medals for Jamaica at all Olympic games between 1972 and 1984.

World men's 100 metre record holder, Asafa Powell was also presented with plaque from the International Athletics Association (IAAF). Powell eclipsed the previous world record of 9.78 seconds with a blistering 9.77 seconds run in Athens, Greece earlier this year.

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Jamaica's most decorated female athlete, Merlene Joyce Ottey, has once again been honoured by the government for 20 years of outstanding achievement on the track. An eight-foot, 700 pounds bronze statue of the world's most prolific and durable female sprinter, was unveiled yesterday (Dec. 28) at the National Stadium by Prime Minister P.J.

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Jamaica has the prestigious honor of having the most success per capita of any country world in track and field. This great honor started when Jamaica's first track Gold Medallists Dr Authur Wint won the 400m in 1948 Olympics. He along other greats Herb McKenley, Leslie Laing, and George Rhoden put Jamaica on the map in one of the greatest relays when the team won the 4 x 400 relay in the 1952 Olympics.

Jamaica's success at the Olympics and international competitions continued through out years with athletes like Donald Quarrie (gold 200m, silver 100m, in the 1976 Olympics), Bert Cameron (silver, 400 relay, 1988), to Grace Jackson (silver, 200m, 1988), to Winthrop Graham (silver, 400m hurdles, 1992), Raymond Stewart, Juliet Cuthbert (silver, 100, 200m, 1992), Deon Hemmings (gold, 400 hurdles, 1996) and perhaps the most popular athlete track Queen Merlene Ottey who has more International and Olympics medal than any other Jamaicans.

Track and Field is ingrained in Jamaica as the majority of the schools in Jamaica have a track program in their curriculum. The annual National Boys and Girls Championship (Champs') which is held at the National Stadium in Kingston is the premier event for Track and Field in Jamaica where future track athletes showcase there skills to the rest of the island and also to the many overseas recruits who attend this event. The athletes who dominate this event are eventually selected to represent Jamaica in annual Penn Relays in Pennsylvania, USA. This is event had been "dubbed" the Jamaican Relays because of the Jamaican dominance in winning the most medals.

Our track and field athletes are acknowledged to be among the best in the world and many of them have gone on to represent other countries Donovan Bailey, Linford Christie, Juliet Campbell, Merlene Frazier, Ben Johnson, and Maria Jose.

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Jamaica has the prestigious honor of having the most success per capita of any country world in track and field. This great honor started when Jamaica's first track Gold Medallists Dr Authur Wint won the 400m in 1948 Olympics. He along other greats Herb McKenley, Leslie Laing, and George Rhoden put Jamaica on the map [...]

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The social roles for men in Jamaica have not really changed. The woman on the other hand are slowly experiencing change in their roles. In 2001 an article was written of a conference discussing the level of participation of woman by the anti-discrimination committee. According to the committee they believed that "Despite women's great academic achievements, they occupied few positions in Jamaica of real power and influence". (Women's levels) still to this day, this is true, but few woman are making their marks in Jamaican history. For example, Portia Simpson Miller is the first woman to be head of the government. Equal roles in Jamaica may be a slow process but at least it's a process.
Outside of politics and what gender holds power, comes the household. In the past Jamaica's household was no different from the way America's household was once ran. The man was the head of the household. He was the one to provide for his family. In the church the man was also the head. He was looked at as superior then the woman. The women's role was to cook, clean, and be a stay at home mom. She made sure the kids were taken care of. She would make sure that the house was in order by time the man would get home. "Often when you find a man and a woman living together. The woman make sure that he has his dinner when he comes home from work...and the man is expecting to see it ready." (Role of Man) This was the way my grandmother was raised, and she tried to instill those same values in me. Unlike America these same customs are still practiced in Jamaican homes. This is assuming that both the man and woman stay together.
All this discuss about roles of the women and men have only changed due to the situation a lot of the woman are in when having a child. There are a lot of woman in Jamaica who are raising their children alone. "In recent years, almost 85% of births in Jamaica are to single mothers". (Landy) This causes them to play both roles of the man and the woman. She does not have a head in her household so she has to do it. These women are working, and making sure the household duties are completed as well. This causes the roles of women in Jamaica to start making some changes. In order to survive and provide women are forced to do things that they wouldn't have normally had to do in the past.
The role of women and men before now where simple enough, get married, start a family, and stay in line with tradition. Now in Jamaica things have changed. Not only are woman slowly becoming more involved in the work force, and are becoming heads of their household but marriages are no longer the same. People in Jamaica aren't so quick to marry, but are quick to divorce. "Jamaican culture can be highly sexualized, and unmarried households are the norm. The marriage rate in the last decade has declined, while the divorce rate increased." (Landy) I've come to understand that like any evolving culture there comes change. Whether it's a phase or not. Jamaica's social roles have changed. Women are head of their households, and are increasing in numbers involved in the work force. When a man stays with a woman he is still considered the head. Marriages seem to be decreasing, and having children out of marriage seems to be increasing. Change is expected to happen in my eyes, and through a little searching it's easy to recognize.
Sources
WOMEN'S LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION IN JAMAICAN PUBLIC LIFE
QUESTIONED BY ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE | Meetings
Coverage and Press Releases. (2001, January 26). Retrieved October 7, 2015.

Landy, T. (2014, January 8). Family, Marriage & Gender Roles. Retrieved
October 7, 2015.

Role of man and woman in Jamaican society. (n.d.). Retrieved October 7,
2015.

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Social roles of men and women in Jamaica

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The social roles for men in Jamaica have not really changed. The woman on the other hand are slowly experiencing change in their roles. In 2001 an article was written of a conference discussing the level of participation of woman by the anti-discrimination committee.

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Introduction

The history of Jamaica over the past 500 years has been marked by the courage of the Jamaican people in their triumphant struggle for freedom and justice and by their unrelenting resistance and determination in the face of adversity and discrimination. Modern Jamaica is built on a historical legacy of genocide perpetrated against the island's indigenous peoples, on the experience of over three hundred years of slavery and oppression suffered by the Jamaicans of African origin and on the interplay between Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East in the building of a proud, free and progressive nation in the heart of the Caribbean.

The First Jamaicans

The first Jamaicans were the Taino Indians who settled in Jamaica around 600 AD. They were stone-age peoples who had migrated to Jamaica from the northern coast of South America. After living continuously in Jamaica for almost 900 years, the Tainos were wiped out within 50 years of the Spanish conquest in 1494, due to exploitation by the Spanish settlers, starvation and a lack of resistance to European diseases. Many Tainos fiercely resisted the Spanish occupation of their land and some even committed suicide rather than serve as slaves.

The Arawak language spoken by the Tainos survives in many words such as 'hammock', 'hurricane', 'tobacco', 'barbeque' and 'canoe'. The word Jamaica actually derives from the Arawak word Xaymaca, meaning "Land of wood and water".

The Spanish Period

Christopher Columbus was the first European to set foot on the island when he claimed it for Spain on May 3rd, 1494, during his second voyage to the New World. Jamaica was settled by the Spanish in 1510 and the indigenous Taino people were forced into slavery and eventually exterminated. In the early years of the 16th century the practice of importing slaves from West Africa to work in Jamaica began.

Jamaica's first town was built by the Spanish in Saint Ann's Bay and was called Sevilla Nueva. In 1538 the Spanish moved the capital of Jamaica to Spanish Town. Jamaica was, however, never heavily populated by the Spanish, for they found no gold on the island. Instead, plantations were established to supply food for the Spanish ships that sailed between Europe and the Americas. Spain remained in control of Jamaica for more than 150 years and the legacy of this period can still be seen in the historic buildings of Spanish Town and in the many Spanish names assigned to Jamaican rivers, mountains and towns.

The British Period and the Pirates of the Caribbean

In 1655 British naval forces captured Jamaica from the Spanish. The British went on to retain control of Jamaica for over 300 years. The British took advantage of Jamaica's strategic location in the centre of the Caribbean to challenge the Spanish dominance of the region and to disrupt their lucrative trade in gold and silver. While many of the first English settlers in Jamaica were land owners, others were pirates who operated with the consent of the British. Buccaneers like Sir Henry Morgan joined with mercenaries and adventurers to attack the Spanish galleons that carried gold and silver from Central and South America to Spain. Their headquarters at Port Royal soon became rich with stolen Spanish gold and was known in the seventeenth century as the "wickedest city in the world".

Port Royal was almost completely destroyed in 1692 by a devastating earthquake, and further damaged by a series of hurricanes over the next thirty years. By then, England and Spain had signed a peace treaty and the need for the buccaneers had vanished. Jamaica became more involved in trade and the exportation of sugar, cocoa and other agricultural products.

The decline of the buccaneers, coupled with the destruction of Port Royal by earthquake, led to the rise of the nearby fishing village of Kingston which offered a natural harbour on the more sheltered southern side of the island. Kingston eventually became Jamaica's capital in 1872.

The Maroons

During the upheaval caused by the transition from Spanish to English rule in 1655, many of the West African slaves formerly owned by the Spanish escaped into Jamaica's hilly interior and pioneered the resistance to slavery that would continue in Jamaica for most of the ensuing 200 years. These escaped slaves developed their own separate culture based on their West African roots. Known as the Maroons, the British were never able to recapture or subdue them, and they were granted political autonomy in 1739. Their descendants and culture still exist today in modern Jamaica, a testament to their skill and tenacity.
Africa in the Caribbean and the Resistance to Slavery

The importation of African slave labour, begun by the Spanish, continued under the British with much greater intensity, and grew steadily in volume as sugar production increased in extent and value. Most Jamaican slaves came from the region of modern day Ghana, Nigeria and Central Africa, and included the Akan, Ashanti, Yoruba, Ibo and Ibibio peoples. By the 18th century, Jamaica had become one of the most valuable British colonies. But the conditions endured by the slaves were horrendous. Families were routinely separated. Housing and sanitary conditions were abysmal. Beatings and torture were rampant. Many died from overwork and starvation. Life expectancy of a West African slave in Jamaica was 7 years.

The slave trade was abolished in 1807. By then, almost 2 million slaves were traded to Jamaica, with tens of thousands dying on slave ships in the brutal middle passage between West Africa and the Caribbean.

Then, after almost 250 years of rebellion and resistance, emancipation from slavery was finally won in 1838. Over two hundred years of inhuman bondage was ended through the fierce resistance of the West African slaves, and thanks to the support of enlightened members of the British parliament and to Christian dissenters in Britain. A great contribution was made also by the Christian missionaries in Jamaica who treated the slaves as human beings and awakened them to the Christian Gospel in which " there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus".

The end of slavery brought about the collapse of the plantation system, as the West African slaves who had fought for their freedom were no longer prepared to work for their former masters. This, together with other factors, including unemployment, heavy taxation and droughts produced a crisis in 1865 that changed the old social and economic patterns decisively and quickly. In October, 1865, an uprising known as the Morant Bay Rebellion was put down with terrible severity and its leaders were hanged. The handling of the crisis by the British Governor led to his recall to London, but before leaving he induced the frightened House of Assembly to vote for its own extinction. In its place a crown colony form of government, in which the Governor wielded the only real executive or legislative power, was established by an act of the British Parliament in 1866.

Asia and the Middle East in the Caribbean

The Jews were among the first ethnic group to settle in Jamaica, arriving in the early sixteenth century to work in sugar manufacturing. After completing their period of indentured labour, they moved into business and other professions, and although small in number they still have significant influence in Jamaica in these areas.

In 1845 the first Indians arrived in Jamaica to work as indentured servants on the sugar plantations that had been abandoned by the African-Jamaicans after the abolition of slavery. The first labourers came from Northern India, but others arrived later from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, the Central Provinces, Punjab and the North West Frontiers.

In 1854 the first Chinese migrants arrived as indentured labourers. Most were from Hong Kong and from the Kwang Tung Province in southeast China.

In the early years of the twentieth century migrants from Palestine and Lebanon settled in Jamaica, fleeing political and religious persecution in their home countries and in search of a better way of life.

The peoples of the Middle East, India and China have retained many of the cultural values from their places of origin and have enriched Jamaica with their contributions to farming, commerce and other professions, while integrating with their own traditions and expertise into the Jamaican society.

Transition to Independence

By 1938, dissatisfaction with the crown colony system, sharpened by the hardships and suffering brought on by a worldwide economic depression, erupted in serious and widespread rioting. These events resulted in the formation of the first lasting labour unions, as well as of political parties linked to them. A growing demand for self-determination also became apparent

Political agitation by Jamaican activists and trade union leaders led to the granting of a new constitution in 1944, providing for a two-party House of Representatives, the appointment of Ministers and universal adult suffrage. Further constitutional advances took place in 1953 and 1957, and full internal self-government was obtained in 1959.

In 1958 Jamaica became a founding member of the Federation of the West Indies, from which it seceded in 1961, after a referendum. On August 6, 1962, after 300 years of British colonization, Jamaica became an independent nation with full dominion status within the Commonwealth.

Jamaican Identity

The legacy of Africa lives on in Jamaica in countless ways. It is most evident in the ethnic composition of the Jamaican people; in the Jamaican language called patois whose grammar and pronunciation are heavily influenced by the Twi language spoken in West Africa; in Jamaican music and dance; in religious worship and rituals; and in food and dress.

The legacy of Britain also lives on in Jamaica in many ways. For example, English is the official language; Her Majesty the Queen is the Head of Jamaica's Parliament; Jamaica's system of government is based on the Westminster parliamentary model; Jamaica's jurisprudence is based on English common law and practice; and the game of cricket is the national sport.

The Jamaican national motto "Out of many, one people" reflects the fact that peoples of different races and creeds have lived side by side for centuries to forge a unique Jamaican identity and a common destiny as a nation.

Important Dates in Jamaica's History

A.D. 600 - 800: Tainos settled in Jamaica and lived there for some 900 years before being exterminated by the Spanish.

1494: Christopher Columbus landed in Jamaica and claimed the island for Spain

1510: Colonised by the Spanish

1655: Captured by the British

1670: Officially ceded to the British under the Treaty of Madrid.

1692: Earthquake destroyed Port Royal

1739: Peace Treaty signed between the British and the Maroons, after years of violent struggle.

1807: Slave Trade was abolished

1832: Western Liberation Uprising, the largest mass rebellion against slavery, led by Sam Sharpe.

1838: Slavery Abolished.

1845: First Indians arrive in Jamaica as indentured servants.

1854: First Chinese arrive in Jamaica as indentured servants.

1865: Morant Bay Rebellion

1884: New constitution for local authority.

1914: Marcus Garvey launched the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) to create an international awareness of the right of the black race to coexist with other peoples of the world as equals. Garvey awakened black consciousness and pride in millions of blacks in Africa and the African Diaspora.

1938: The People's National Party (PNP) was formed by The Right Honourable Norman Washington Manley.

1943: The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) was formed by The Right Honourable Alexander Bustamante.

1944: Jamaica Labour Party won elections for the House of Representatives, in the first general elections under universal adult suffrage.

1958: The West Indian Federation was formed, uniting ten English-speaking countries of the Eastern Caribbean and Jamaica.

1959: People's National Party won elections for the House of Representatives and The Right Honourable Norman Washington Manley appointed first and only Premier.

1961: Jamaica withdrew from the Federation of the West Indies, as mandated in a referendum that year.

6 August 1962: Jamaica became an Independent Nation

1962: The Jamaica Labour Party won the general elections to the House of Representatives and Sir Alexander Bustamante became the first Prime Minister of Jamaica.

Between 1962 and 1989 the two major political parties alternated in power, with each party serving two consecutive terms.

1989 to September 2007: The People's National Party (PNP) remained in power for four (4) consecutive terms under three (3) different Prime Ministers, namely The Most Honourable Michael Manley, The Most Honourable P.J. Patterson and the Most Honourable Portia Simpson-Miller, who was sworn in as Jamaica's seventh Prime Minister on 30 March 2006.

September 3, 2007: General elections were held. The opposition Jamaica Labour Party gained 33 seats in Parliament and the People's National Party 27 seats.

September 11, 2007: The Honourable Orett Bruce Golding was sworn in as Jamaica's eighth Prime Minister.

For the list of Cabinet Ministers please click here:
http://www.jis.gov.jm/Minister%20Profiles/html/preview1.htm

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Introduction The history of Jamaica over the past 500 years has been marked by the courage of the Jamaican people in their triumphant struggle for freedom and justice and by their unrelenting resistance and determination in the face of adversity and discrimination.

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AllMusic | Music Search, Recommendations, Videos and Reviews

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AllMusic provides comprehensive music info including reviews and biographies. Get recommendations for new music to listen to, stream or own.

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"Reggae" comes from the term "rege-rege" which means "rags" or "ragged clothes", and this gives you your first clue into the story behind reggae music. When it started out in Jamaica around the late 1960s, reggae music was considered a rag-tag, hodge-podge of other musical styles, namely Jamaican Mento and contemporary Jamaican Ska music, along with American jazz and rhythm & blues, something like what was coming out of New Orleans at the time. Most listeners didn't even distinguish reggae from Jamaican dancehall music or the slowed down version of ska music known as Rocksteady, until possibly when the band Toots and the Maytals came along. There songs served as a sort of public notice that a new style of music had been born and was staking its claim on the musical frontier.

Besides its sound, reggae music is frequently associated with the common themes in its lyrics. The earliest reggae lyrics spoke mostly of love, specifically romantic love between a man and a woman. But as the music and the musicians making it made their way into the 1970s, reggae started taking on a heavy Rastafarian influence. Now the love being sung about was not just romantic love, but cosmic, spiritual love, the love of one's fellow man, and of God, or "Jah". And when reggae singers weren't singing about love, they were singing about rebellion and revolution against the forces impeding that love, like the extreme violence, poverty, racism, and government oppression they were witnessing or experiencing on a regular basis.

When reggae music reached more popular international acclaim was after singer Jimmy Cliff released a movie called "The Harder They Come" with a powerful socio-political storyline and an equally strong reggae soundtrack. This sudden global attention and interest in the music paved the way for possibly reggae's biggest superstar, Bob Marley, to become a worldwide legend, and the name most associated with the genre. Today reggae music has spurred the innovation of a whole new range of musical styles, like modern Jamaican Dub, and been infused into many other popular genres, like hip-hop and rap. Yet still you can find bands in every corner of the world playing that authentic, roots reggae like it was when it started out in Jamaica over 50 years ago.

Negril, Jamaica hosts many reggae artists throughout the year. Click here to view artists and schedules.

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A Brief History of Reggae Music: First Jamaica, Then the World - Sunset At The Palms

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"Reggae" comes from the term "rege-rege" which means "rags" or "ragged clothes", and this gives you your first clue into the story behind reggae music. When it started out in Jamaica around the late 1960s, reggae music was considered a rag-tag, hodge-podge of other musical styles, namely Jamaican Mento and contemporary Jamaican Ska music, along[.....]

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The U.S. dollar is the currency most used in international transactions. Several countries use the U.S. dollar as their official currency, and many others allow it to be used in a de facto capacity. It's known locally as a buck or greenback.

The dollar (JMD) has been the currency of Jamaica since 1969. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign, $, or, alternatively, J$ or JA$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 cents.

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Convert United States Dollar to Jamaican Dollar | USD to JMD Currency Converter

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Currency converter to convert from United States Dollar (USD) to Jamaican Dollar (JMD) including the latest exchange rates, a chart showing the exchange rate history for the last 120-days and information about the currencies.

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History's Greatest | History's Greatest People, Places and Events.

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Cicely Delphine Williams, born 2 December 1893 at Kew Park, Darliston, Westmoreland, she grew up to become a pioneer in her chosen field of paediatrics and is also one of the first female to graduate from Oxford University and the first female doctor in Jamaica. Dr. Williams was directly responsible for initiating a worldwide campaign against the use of unsuitable sweetened condensed milk as a substitute for breast milk and for the diagnosis of the dreaded childhood nutritional disease, kwashiorkor.

She was the daughter of Rowland Williams, a landowner, who was said to have suggested, when Cicely was nine years old, that she had better become a lady doctor as she was unlikely to find a husband. At 13 she left Jamaica to be educated in England, beginning her studies in Bath and was then awarded a place at Somerville College, Oxford when she was only 19.

Williams went to Ghana, then the Gold Coast, in 1929, at a time when sick babies in British hospitals were separated from their mothers, and she found African mothers generally insisted on being with their babies, and that they recovered more quickly. She studied medicine during the First World War, when women were allowed to replace male students, emerging in the first batch of Oxford women medical graduates in 1923.

Dr Williams became so popular in Ghana that in only a few weeks after she opened a medical centre in the town of Koforidua, the police were sought to control the massive crowds of mothers and children that had gathered for medical care. At the Princess Marie Louise Hospital in Accra, Dr Williams introduced ideas to combat the abnormally high child mortality rates.

She proposed that mothers should begin breastfeeding their babies as early as possible, ensuring that babies were kept with their mothers during their stay at the hospital and taught the mothers how to bathe and care for sick babies. She developed a special treatment regime for the protein malnutrition disease Kwashiorkor that saved millions of lives. During her illustrious career as a doctor, researcher, lecturer, consultant and humanitarian, Dr Williams worked in over 50 countries like Europe, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.

It was hard to obtain a job in those days because of gender inequalities but was later employed at the South London Hospital for Women and Children where her specialty was paediatrics but based her interest on childhood diseases. Because of Williams' research, she was elected as a Member of the Royal College of Physicians in London in 1935, without having to sit the entrance examination a distinct honour.

In the same year, her alma mater Oxford University also conferred an honorary Doctorate in Medicine upon her. Amidst growing recognition, Dr Williams did not lose her enthusiasm or focus. She continued to travel between Africa, Asia and Europe, treating victims of kwashiorkor wherever it had been identified as a widespread issue. Dr. Williams went on to work in Malaysia, transforming mother and child care in that region.

During World War II she was captured by the Japanese and held for over a year in a prisoner of war camp. She contracted dysentery and nearly starved to death. She was nursed back to health by friends she had made in Malaysia.

She was awarded the Order of Merit, Jamaica's highest honour. She died in England in 1992 at the age of 98 a very extraordinary Jamaican woman.

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Dr. Cicely Williams | History’s Greatest

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Cicely Delphine Williams, born 2 December 1893 at Kew Park, Darliston, Westmoreland, she grew up to become a pioneer in her chosen field of paediatrics and is also one of the first female to graduate from Oxford University and the first female doctor in Jamaica. Dr. Williams was directly responsible…

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Reggae Roots Music: A Bob Marley Family Tree | uDiscover

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Like Marley during his lifetime, the Bob Marley family dynasty has grown into a true reggae powerhouse on a global scale, through music, clothing & beyond.

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The Best Of Bob Marley | Bob Marley Greatest Hits Full Album | Bob Marley Reggae Songs

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I was introduced to Jada Kingdom's music prior to doing research into Jamaican female hip-hop artist. 

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Reggae styles and genres explained - stevie culture

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This song displays themes of sexual liberation and uses Jamaican Creole.

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Jada Kingdom - One Time (Official Audio)

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This is where I began my research in finding Jamaican female artists. This website introduced me to women I had never heard for example, Queen Ifrica. 

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Spice, real name Grace Latoya Hamilton is the full package when it comes to a female reggae artist. She is beautiful, has charisma, excellent live performances, produces great music and is an innovator. We can say without dispute that Spice is the current queen of dancehall music. From her major hit with Vybz Kartel ' Romping Shop ' in 2009 Spice has never slowed down.

In 2014, she released her EP with VP Records 'So mi like it' that spawned a hit single of the same name. The EP debuted at number 14 on the Billboard Top Reggae Album charts. Spice has done songs with artists such as Busta Rymes, Asap Ferg and Bunji Garling just to name a few.

She also received an award for "Best Female Dancehall Artist" at the 35th Annual International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA).

The choreography of Spice's dancers during her live performances is something to behold. To be honest we have never seen a female reggae artist have stage performances like hers. We recognise Jamaican women's' ability to dance, however, Spice takes it to another level.

When we speak about current female dancehall icons Spices' name has to be in the conversation. Spice is one of the best female reggae artists of this generation. She is currently on Love and Hip Hop Atlanta; we believe to gain more recognition on the international market.

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Female Reggae Artists - List of the Best in the Genre - IslandZest

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Spice, real name Grace Latoya Hamilton is the full package when it comes to a female reggae artist. She is beautiful, has charisma, excellent live performances, produces great music and is an innovator. We can say without dispute that Spice is the current queen of dancehall music.

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What Is Reggae Dancehall? | Reggae Dancehall

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Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines dancehall as: a genre of Jamaican music derived from reggae in which an artist improvises vocals over a recorded or live beat.

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Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Reggae as: popular music of Jamaican origin that combines native styles with elements of rock and soul music and is performed at moderate tempos with the accent on the offbeat