CARIBBEAN HISTORY SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT

Candidates Name: Nadia Hammond 1000671361, Adrianna Watkis 1000673259,Shoyalee

Anderson 1000670055, Danielle Ellis 1000671078, Shamone Reynolds 1000672481

Center: Manchester High School

Center Number:100067

Name Of Teacher: Mr. Smith

Territory: Jamaica
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgement ……………………………………………………………… 1

Title Page ……………………………………………………………………….. 2

Rationale ………………………………………………………………………… 3

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………… 4

Objective 1……………………………………………………………………..… 5

Objective 2……………………………………………………………………….. 6

Objective 3……………………………………………………………………….. 7

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………. 8

Work cited……………………………………………………………………….. 9

Appendices……………………………………………………………………….. 10-11
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Firstly, the researcher would like to express sincere appreciation to the Lord and savior, For he

has enabled the researcher with life and the motivation needed to complete this research.The

researcher would like to express gratitude towards the teachers who aided and guided the

researcher upon completion of this history research. The love and support the researcher has

received from family and friends, gave the researcher the determination to complete this history

research, therefore the researcher would like to express the greatest appreciation.
THEME:
The Indigenous Peoples and the Europeans

Research Question:

What are the lasting effects of the Spanish colonization of Jamaica in 1494?
 RATIONALE

"The conquest and colonization of the New World became an epic adventure, in which religious

fervor and fierce battles for wealth, land, and power intertwined to leave an indelible mark on the

course of history." - From "The Oxford History of the American People" by Samuel Eliot

Morison. The researcher has developed an interest in this topic due to the historical injustice and

oppression ancestors experienced in the 15th century. The researcher is intrigued by the extent of

transformation that occurred in Jamaica in 1494, and seeks to delve deep into this historical event

to understand its profound impact on the island's development. The reason for this research is to

investigate and analyze lasting social, economic, and political effects of the Spanish colonization

of Jamaica in 1494.The research will enable the researcher to gain deeper connection of culture

and gain new insights. The researcher will use various sources to acquire meticulous answers

which will relate to the research questions. During the process of answering the research

questions the following objective will be met:

1. EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF SPANISH COLONIZATION ON THE TAINOS IN

JAMAICA

2. DISCUSS THE CULTURAL EFFECTS OF THE SPANISH ON JAMAICA ( LANGUAGE

AND ARCHITECTURE)

3. DESCRIBE THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF SPANISH COLONIZATION ON JAMAICA

 Introduction
Proud Jamaicans states and I quote “Being Jamaican isn’t just a nationality. It’s an experience,

you have to live it to understand it”. 1494, the year that altered Jamaica's destiny.Columbus set

out on his expeditions to find riches, gain fame, and to spread his religion Christianity. He hoped

to discover gold and establish a westward route to Asia, not knowing about the Americas.

Christopher Columbus set out on his second voyage (1493) to further explore the new world

when he encountered Jamaica. After exploring Jamaica for a while, he then found this as a means

to execute his three G’s; Gold, God and Glory. Columbus called Jamaica Xaymaca meaning land

of wood and water. Columbus was soon to find out that there was no gold in Jamaica. On May 5,

1494 Christopher Columbus claimed it as a part of the Spanish colony .(JIS Daily

Newsletter).The Spanish Colonization led to a significant transformation on the island of

Jamaica. The Spanish colonizers were curious and fascinated by the indigenous population on

the island of Jamaica, the tainos. A Spanish conquistador also came to Jamaica his name was

Juan de Esquivel, he led a second expedition into Jamaica in 1509, his crew was left

disappointed due not discovering any precious metals. On the other hand Juan de Esquivel was

happy to become governor and establish spanish rules in Jamaica(Caribbean story). As

evidenced by the integration of cultures, the expulsion of indigenous populations, the

establishment of exploitative economic systems, and the long-lasting effects of colonial

governance, the Spanish conquest of Jamaica in 1494 had a significant and lasting impact on the

island.
 THE EFFECTS OF SPANISH COLONIZATION ON THE TAINOS IN JAMAICA

The Tainos' entire lives changed when they came in contact with the Spaniards, a change for the

worst.1494 marked the beginning of injustice and oppression on the tainos. The Spanish

colonizers saw the tainos as inferior and as such were manipulated and forced to slowly lose their

traditional way and adapt to changes brought by their colonizers. The effects of the Spanish

colonization on the tainos in Jamaica were forced labor, decline in population, religious

conversion, displacement and destruction of properties. The Spanish colonizers came to Jamaica

in 1494 in hopes of exploiting the tainos resources such as minerals and timber and as such the

Spaniards resorted to forced labor, under a system called the Encomienda. The Encomienda

system allowed Spanish settlers authority to compel the tainos to perform labor and pay tribute in

exchange for protection and religious instruction. The tainos would do work such as cultivation

of crops, mining for precious metals and construct infrastructure. “In Jamaica, the indigenous

population was 60,000 before the Spanish colonization”(Spanish Jamaica - Francisco Morales

Padron pg 23). The tainos had to work in harsh weather conditions and ill treatment by the

Spaniards, which made the tainos weak, often hungry and so eventually they died,which led to a

major decrease from the indigenous population from 60,000. The tainos of Jamaica never came

upon such forces and weapons until they encountered the Spaniards. “The tainos were very calm

and peaceful towards the Spaniards, which made it easy for the Spaniards to capture and send the

tainos to Hispaniola to work as slaves”( A Sketchmap History of the Caribbean - Robert

Greenwood pg 23). The Spaniards used swords, horses and dogs while on the other hand the

tainos had bows and arrows ,this led to the genocide of tainos in Jamaica. The tainos also

practiced infanticide as means of preventing their children of being born in oppression, Suicide is

another mean of which the taino would kill themselves to be free from oppression. The
introduction to European diseases such as smallpox, which the tainos had no immunity against,

and furthermore were not given treatment thus this took a major toll on the taino population in

Jamaica

When Christopher Columbus set out on his expenditure one of his aims was to gain Christian

converts. When Jamaica was colonized, Spanish missionaries were sent to the island to educate

the tainos about Christianity. The tainos was not a custom to this belief but had to accept it under

the Encomienda system. The Spaniards took the tainos homes and farm to use for their own

purpose and left many tainos displaced which disrupted their lives. The tainos who remained

with a farm could not cultivate on their land as they were often destroyed by pigs and horses

brought on the island of Jamaica. The tainos had leaders called cacique that were hereditary but

due to Spanish colonization the authority of the cacique was no longer applicable and the

Spaniards now took precedence. In short the tainos of jamaica were introduced to the european

attire, language and the assimilation of European and indigenous traditions.They had to

experience oppression and forced labor under a system called encomienda.The death of many

tainos was due to genocide,infanticide and suicide. The introduction of European diseases also

led to the death of tainos.

 THE CULTURAL EFFECTS OF THE SPANISH ON JAMAICA ( LANGUAGE AND
ARCHITECTURE)

The colonization of Jamaica by Spain in 1494 had an immense effect on the culture of Jamaica,

this includes the language,food and architecture. “ Settlers brought to the island not just plants

and animals(cows, sugarcane,and oranges) but introduced a new way of life” The national library

of Jamaica- nlj.gov.jm.The arrival of the Spaniards in Jamaica marked a significant turning point

in the island’s history as they came in contact with the taino people and an interweaving of

cultures took place, this made Jamaica what it is today. The Spaniards mother language is

Spanish,Although English is the official language of Jamaica a vast majority of the population

speaks patois which is a colorful and unique blend of English, a mixture of African languages,

Portuguese and Spanish. Spanish words and terms are incorporated into the Jamaican

vocabulary.In the Jamaican creole and English is more evident than Spanish, however, the

Spanish influence can be seen in some parts of grammar, syntax and linguistic structure. A few

examples of the Spanish language used in Jamaican creole is, “pickney” According to

dictionary.com,” the use of the term first recorded in 1645–55; probably ultimately from Portuguese or

Spanish pequenino, diminutive of pequeno “small”; as a word for “small child,” PICKANINNY and its

variants are widespread in English-based creoles of the New World and West Africa; compare Jamaican

English pickney, West African English pickin “small child”. Another example is pimento, in Spanish

pimiento means Pepper, while in Jamaican patois pimento is a cooking season or an allspice ,

hurricane and tobacco are also derived from the Spanish words “huracan” and “tabaco” . A

complete Jamaican patois statement with a few spanish words is, “pickney u cyaa go fix di roof

u no see seh a hurricane season.The culinary influences of the Spanish have become an essential
of Jamaican cooking, with many dishes showcasing a combination European and African

ingredients. Escovitch fish and bammy are examples of how the Spanish influences reflected on

the island’s cuisine. The Spaniards brought a wide variety of plants to Jamaica which is

observed in the island’s crop diversity today. These include citrus fruits such as: lemons, seville

oranges, sweet oranges, limes etc. They also brought with them bananas, plantains, ginger,

sugarcane and tamarind.“ Many of Jamaica’s most common plants were brought here by the

Spanish”(Myislandjamaica.com).The Spanish colonization left a lasting impact upon Jamaican

architecture.The Spaniards brought their expertise in architecture to the island of Jamaica.The

Spaniards constructed religious buildings such as churches. Some spanish churches that still

remain in Jamaica are Sevilla la Nueva Church and St. Jago de la Vega Cathedral (Spanish Town

Cathedral).The Sevilla la Nueva Church is located in St.Ann,the church was established during

colonial time.The Spanish introduction of new architecture material and technique majorly

impacted the construction in Jamaica.The tainos form of architecture was clay, sticks and thatch.

In coastal areas, limestone and coral were frequently employed by the Spaniards for constructing

various elements such as walls, fortifications, and other architectural structures. The spanish

colonization has impacted some buildings and place currently in Jamaica.Discovery Bay,this is

the place in which Christopher Columbus went on his second voyage 1494 in Jamaica.Port

Esquivel Archaeological Site this place presents features of the early spanish settlement which

also have a bridge built by the spaniards. Places that received its name due to Spanish

colonization are Spanish Town,Seville,Rio Bueno,Montego Bay. Spanish Town received its

name because it was the capital of Jamaica during Spanish colonization era which now remains

as a historic town.Seville was an early spanish settlement which was named after the spanish

city. Rio Bueno is the river of which the early Spanish settlers and translates to english as Good
river. Montego Bay,Montego is thought to illustrate Spanish settlers. Remnants of Spanish

influences on Jamaica’s landscape can be found by the names of places and rivers on the island

these include: Cabo Bonito, Ocho Rios, Porus, Liguana, Savanna-la-mar ,Lacovia, and Hoja

River just to name a few. In conclusion Jamaica’s language, architecture and food has been

immensely influenced by the colonization of Spain. While Spanish ingredients and flavors

remain a crucial part of Jamaican kitchens, the Spanish gave rise to many loanwords in patois.

There are still many buildings in Jamaica that showcase Spanish architectural influences. The

influences has become a vital aspect in Jamaica’s blueprint.

DESCRIBE THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF SPANISH COLONIZATION ON
JAMAICA

The Spanish colonizers explored Jamaica in hopes of acquiring wealth by exploiting their natural

material. The Spanish colonization was a short era but the economic effects on Jamaica are long

lasting which is significant in the shaping of Jamaica's economy today. The economic effects of

Spanish colonization on Jamaica are large scale farming on estates,trade routes,Spanish Utilizing

resources.

“Seville Estate is a spanish settlement which was found by Juan de Equivel in St.Ann on the

north coast”( A Sketchmap History of the Caribbean - Robert Greenwood pg 19).Seville

Estate was an important Spanish settlement and served as the administrative center for the

region. On the seville estate agricultural activities were practiced on this estate and some others

around Jamaica.``Most settlers had given up hope of finding minerals and had turned to logging

and farming”(The Story Of The Jamaica People - Philip Sherlock & Hazel Bennett pg 69).

There was major difficulty in acquiring minerals and therefore the settlers started logging and

farming. The Jamaican agriculture was shifted from small scale cultivation to large scale

cultivation due to spanish colonization. “Jamaican farmers currently practice large scale planting

crops such as sugar cane,grapes, orange, cocoa and rearing cattles, horses and pigs introduced

from europe.”(The Story Of The Jamaica People - Philip Sherlock & Hazel Bennett pg 69).

The Spaniards were able to establish trade routes in Jamaica between Cartagena and Havana,

exporting surplus meat in 1515. The various things that were traded were rum,gold,muscovado

sugar, manufactured goods and people even in today’s society Jamaica is known to trade these

items. The expertise and trade routes from the Spaniards are evident in Jamaica’s

economic.Jamaicans still practice trading of goods and equipment. “Jamaicans currently trade

with Canada, the Netherlands, United States of America and many more.Traditional exports
from Jamaica to the North American country include inorganic chemicals, beverages, vegetables,

preserved food, fruits and nuts, and knit apparel”(Jamaica's top ten in exporting markets -

Jamaica Observer). “Jamaica’s main imports are food and other consumer goods, industrial

supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment and

construction materials. The main import partners are the USA, CARICOM, Germany,

Venezuela, France and Japan”(Trade Overview - MFAFT - Jamaica). Jamaica currently engages

in both exporting and importing goods and equipment with numerous countries.These trade

activities support economic growth, build international relationships, and aid the country's

overall progress

The Spaniards on the seville estate and other estates are the first to start exploiting Jamaica's

natural resources such as timber. The natural resources that the Spaniards acquire in Jamaica are

used for themselves or traded to gain wealth. Jamaicans now practice exploitation of resources

such as bauxite. The bauxite industry is of significant economic importance in Jamaica.

 Conclusion

The colonization of Jamaica in 1494 left an indelible mark upon Jamaica’s society,economy and

politics. The introduction of the Spaniards way of life caused a blend with the indigenous people

of Jamaica. Their colonization of Jamaica had far-reaching and long-lasting societal, religious

and political consequences. Social structures were disrupted, religious beliefs clashed and

foreign governance were imposed , all of which contributed to the major alteration of the Taino

way of life.

Spanish contributions have also shaped Jamaica’s culture in a variety of ways , including,

language, cuisine and architecture. Despite the colonial era’s limited duration, the persistent

Spanish effects serve as a reminder of how closely cultures are tied together.

Furthermore,Jamaica's agricultural practices and trade dynamics continued to be influenced by

the economic consequences by the Spanish colonization. Early commercial ties, the introduction

of crops, and plantation systems all paved the way for later economic growth in Jamaica.

However it’s important to recognize that the British colonial period had a more profound and

long-lasting impact on shaping Jamaica’s economy, which developed even after obtaining

independence
 WORK CITED PAGE

Books:

Gardner, W. J. A History of Jamaica from Its Discovery by Christopher Columbus to the Year 1872: Including an
Account of Its Trade and Agriculture ; Sketches of the Manners, Habits and Customs of All Classes of Its
Inhabitants ; and a Narrative of the Progress of Religion and Education in the Island. 1971.

Greenwood, R. A SKETCHMAP History of the Caribbean. Macmillan Caribbean, 1991.

Claypole, William. Caribbean Story. Book 1. Pearson Education Ltd, 2001.

Carter, E. H., et al. History of the West Indian Peoples. from Earliest Times to the 17th Century. Nelson, 1959.

Francisco Morales Padrón. Spanish Jamaica. Kingston, Jamaica, Ian Randle ; London, 2004.

‌Manderson, Philip, and Hazel Bennett. The Story of the Jamaican People. Markus Wiener Publishers, 1998.

Web Sources:
“Jamaica’s Top Ten in Exporting Markets - Jamaica Observer.” Www.jamaicaobserver.com, 15 Sept. 2021,
www.jamaicaobserver.com/2021/09/14/jamaicas-top-ten-in-exporting-markets/. Accessed 9 Aug. 2023.

“Information on Jamaica’s Culture & Heritage.” History Notes, www.nlj.gov.jm/history-notes/history-notes.htm.

Accessed 9 Aug. 2023.

Pyle, Howard. “The History of Jamaica.” Jamaica Information Service, 2018, jis.gov.jm/information/jamaican-
history/.

“Pickaninny Definition & Usage Examples.” Dictionary.Com, Dictionary.com,

www.dictionary.com/browse/pickaninny. Accessed 29 Feb. 2024.

Altman, Ida. “The Spanish Caribbean, 1492–1550.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History,
30 July 2018, https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199366439.013.630.

“Trade Overview.” MFAFT - Jamaica, 30 Apr. 2019, mfaft.gov.jm/trade-overview/. Accessed 31 Jul . 2023

““What Did the Spanish Bring to Jamaica?” My www.my-island-jamaica.com/what-did-the-spanish-bring-to-

jamaica.html. Accessed 31 Jul . 2023.

APPENDIX
Figure1:Representation of the ill treatment the indigenous faced by the spaniards

Figure 2: Spanish architectural carvings in seville Jamaica

Figure 3:Tainos working under the encomienda system

Figure 4: Escovitch fish and bammy which are spanish culinary influenced