YEN Jamaica

Columbus sighted Jamaica on his second voyage in 1494 and described it as "The fairest land ever eyes have beheld; mountains and the land seem to touch the sky..all full of valleys and fields and plains." The Spanish didn't completly settle in Jamaica they used it as a post for provisioning their ships while they headed to Central America in search of gold. However, they brought sugar cane to the land and later slaves from Africa to cultivate the cane.
The English Captured Jamaica in 1655 and turned the island into a vast sugar plantation bringing more slaves from Africa and producing lots of wealth for themselves. 1834 brought the end of slavery and emancipation when the people rose to fight the injustices they had and were facing. The Morant Bay rebellion of 1865 was the most significant uprising of the people and was led by Paul Bogle and wealthy businessman George William Gordan. Both were executed and are now considered two of the greatest men among Jamaica's National Heros. In the 1930s political life began to stir again when two cousins of opposing ideas created political parties, The Jamaican Labor Party and The Peoples National Party.
On August 6, 1962 in the pressence of Princess Margaret of England, the British flag was lowered and the new black, green and gold Jamaican flag was raised and Jamaica became an independent nation.