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Redemption, Garveyism would eventually inspire others, ranging from the Nation of Islam, to the Rastafari movement (which proclaims Garvey as a prophet). The intention of the movement was for those of African ancestry to "redeem" Africa and for the European colonial powers to leave it. His essential ideas about Africa were stated in an editorial in the Negro World entitled “African Fundamentalism”.

From Savannla-La-Mar to Morant Bay, from Above Rocks to Port Maria, as the clock struck midnight on August 5, 1962, the strains of our national anthem were heard for the first time while Union Jacks were lowered and the Jamaican flag unveiled. Ceremonies took place in parish capitals across the island. In many cases, fireworks lit up the skies punctuating the August 6 birth of the Dominion of Jamaica. At the National Stadium, then Prime Minister Sir Alexander Bustamante, decked out in formal wear, presided over what was described as a stirring event. "The entire evening was just tremendous," says statesman Hector Wynter, enthusiastically recounting the shared excitement and delight that reverberated through the packed Stadium where over 20,000 people proudly joined in the celebration of movement from colonialism to self-government. Kingston and all other parish capitals were resplendent with flags and bunting, and many civic and social events took place, including dancing in the streets, maypoles in town squares,

Independence Committee which was charged with choosing the island's national symbols, flag, and anthem. Hector Wynter, who, like all sitting Senators at the time, had the opportunity to serve on this committee, remembers that experience as a smooth process in which all were united by enthusiasm. As it turned out, Wynter recalls, "the colour choice and design for the flag proceeded quite smoothly. The only hitch was that our initial design was apparently very similar to that chosen by Tanganyika. So we made our gold saltire cross broader. "Wynter adds, "it may remind you of the Union Jack in design as both have saltire crosses, but our vibrant colours the gold set against black and green triangles made it our own."Our anthem married the words of the Reverend Hugh Sherlock to the music of Hon. Robert Lightbourne, both of which were chosen out of many anonymous entries submitted in a public contest. The 300-year-old coat of arms was retained but a new motto "Out of Many, One People" a reminder that the nation is composed of people of many races who have long lived and worked in harmony, was added.

THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

On August 7, 1962 - which had also been declared a holiday - the first session of Jamaica's parliament took place. Princess Margaret, wished Jamaica well on behalf of her sister, the Queen, and handed over the constitutional documents to Sir Alexander. She said she was proud to be associated with this event and welcomed the new nation to the Commonwealth Family.

INDEPENDENCE ADDRESSES

Bustamante, responding to Princess Margaret and addressing Jamaicans at home and abroad as the island's first Prime Minister, cautioned on that same August 7 morning: "Independence means the opportunity for us to frame our own destiny and the need for us to rely on ourselves in so doing. It does not mean a license to do as we would like. It means work and law and order-Let us resolve to build a Jamaica which will last and of which we and generations to come will be proud, remembering that especially at this time the eyes of the world are upon us." Bustamante's message was also carried in a special supplement in the New York Times commemorating Jamaica's independence. Norman Manley, then Leader of the Opposition, also reminded the nation: "We stand here today surrounded by an unseen host of witnesses-who through all our history strove to keep alight the torch of freedom-and what of the future? We have come to Independence prepared and ready to shoulder our new responsibilities and united I believe in one single hope that we may make our small country a safe and happy home for all our people."The themes of both of these addresses and those of manyothers given that day and on countless anniversaries can aptly be summed up in the words of our National Anthem described by Sherlock and Bennett (1998) as "a prayer of a small, newly independent nation for guidance and protection for themselves and for the island they love." Today, that prayer is just as relevant as it was 39 years ago an expression of fervent hope, respectful humility and strong commitment:

Sources - C. Black. (1983) The History of Jamaica. England:

The Long Road to Freedom and
Prosperity in Jamaican History.

Jamaican history began with the migration of the Arawak Indians from the South America area in about 650 AD. They named the lush island "Xaymaca" which meant "land of wood and water". Of course, centuries later, this island paradise became known as Jamaica, a jewel of the Caribbean. The Arawaks were a peaceful indigenous people that thrived in harmony until the spanish occupation in 1494.

The adverse impact on the Arawak by the spanish invasion was devastating to its existence. Through plunder and killing by the spanish, combined with new-brought disease, the indigenous Arawak became extinct. Only a few artifacts remain in Jamaican museums.

The spanish and their slaves fell upon Jamaica and used it as a base for their conquest in the Americas, particularly of Mexico in search of the treasures of gold and silver. The core population of the spanish and their slaves was primarily centered in a Jamaican area they called "Town of Santiago le la Vega" which would centuries later be named "spanish Town". The architecture of original buildings is still evident today.

In 1655 the British captured Jamaica from the spanish who did little to defend its occupation because Jamaica offered no riches of gold and silver. The spanish fled Jamaica to other areas of the Caribbean, Mexico and South America in pursuit of riches and new conquests. Before fleeing they released and armed their slaves that became known as "Maroons". The Maroons mostly sought refuge from the British in the Jamaican area just south of what is known today as Montego Bay. As fierce defenders, the Maroons were never controlled by the British and even became self-governing in some areas.

Production of cane sugar became the economic and political strength of the Jamaican British Colony. Sugar plantations dominated Jamaican life and led to massive importation of slaves from Africa to provide manual labor and comforts to the plantation owners. Newfound prosperity led to extensive trade among other Caribbean Islands, Jamaica and England, not only in sugar trade and other manufactured goods, but in slave trade as well.

The sugar plantations dominated economic and political life in Jamaica in every sense. They occupied the best lands and the laws supported the slave system which motivated many slaves to escape to the mountains to become Maroons as well.

To combat the growing unrest of rebellious slaves, an uneasy alliance was established between the plantation owners and the governor who represented the crown royalty of England. The alliance became progressively weakened because of excessive taxation on the plantations. Motivated by Jamaican heroes such as Rev. Sam Sharpe and incited by rebellions of which the Christmas Rebellion is perhaps the most famous, emancipation of the Jamaican slaves eventually occurred.

After emancipation, ex-slaves dispersed to mountain areas far from the Jamaican plantations. Many began cultivating new crops including coffee and bananas. Others settled marginally productive lands that were either leased or bought through the efforts of Christian groups, particularly the Baptists. During this period of peasant history of about 1838-1938, there were many struggles and battles over land.

The following periods beyond 1938 experienced major political changes and economical transformation. No longer was Jamaica a single export economy of sugar. The Jamaican economy became diversified into other agricultural products as well as the export of bauxite and alumni. Gradually, tourism became a leading industry as the world discovered the beauty and attractions of Jamaica. The political and economic strength of the overwhelming majority of descendants of the ex-slaves became the stimulation of achieving political independence from England in 1962.

Today. Jamaica is the jewel and vacation destination of the Caribbean. It has indeed come a long way.

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Marcus Gargey

Jamaica's first National Hero was born in St. Ann's Bay, St. Ann, on August 17, 1887. In his youth Garvey migrated to Kingston, where he worked as a printer and later published a small paper "The Watchman".  During his career Garvey travelled extensively throughout many countries, observing the poor working and living conditions of black people.  In 1914 he started the

 Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), in Jamaica.The UNIA, which grew into an international organisation, encouraged self-government for black people worldwide; self-help economic projects and protest against racial discrimination. In 1916, Garvey went to the USA where he preached his doctrine of freedom to the oppressed blacks throughout the country. However, USA officials disapproved of his activities and he was imprisoned, then deported. Back in Jamaica in 1927, he continued his political activity, forming the People's Political Party in 1929. He was unsuccessful in national elections but won a seat on the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC). But the world of the 1930s was not ready for Garvey's progressive ideas. He left Jamaica again, this time for England where he died in 1940. His body was brought back to Jamaica in 1964 and buried in the National Heroes Park in Kingston. Garvey's legacy can be summed up in the philosophy he taught - race pride, the need for African unity; self-reliance; the need for black people to be organised and for rulers to govern on behalf of the working classes.

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Sir Alexander Bustamante

When Bustamante began to make his presence felt in Jamaica, the country was still a crown colony. Under this system, the Governor had, the right to veto at all times, which he very often exercised against the wishes of the majority.  Bustamante was quick to realise that the social and economic ills that such a system engendered had to be countered by mobilisation of the working class.  Pay and working conditions were poor in the 1920s and 1930s.

  Failing harvests and the lay-off of workers resulted in an influx of unemployed people morningfrom the rural areas into the city. This mass migration did little to alleviate the already tremendous unemployment problem. Bustamante first impressed his name on the society with a series of letters to The Gleaner and occasionally to British newspapers calling attention to the social and economic problems of the poor and underprivileged in Jamaica. The years 1937 and 1938 brought the outbreak of widespread discontent and social unrest. In advocating the cause of the masses, Bustamante became the undisputed champion of the working class. He also confronted the power of the ColonialGovernor, declaring, "Long live the King! But Denham must go. "During the troublesome days of 1938 the security forces were everywhere eyeball to eyeball with Bustamante and the workers.  Labour unrests continued on and off. On September 8, 1940, Bustamante was detained at Up Park Camp for alleged violation of the Defence of the Realm Act. He was released seventeen months later.  In 1943 he founded the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) with himself as head. The first general election under Universal Adult Suffrage came in 1944 and the JLP won 22 of the 32 seats.  Sir Alexander became the first Prime Minister of Independent Jamaica in 1962. He retired from active politics in 1967. He died on August 6,1977, at the age of 93.

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Norman Washington Manley

Norman Washington Manley was born at Roxborough, Manchester, on July 4, 1893. He was a brilliant scholar and athlete, soldier (First World War) anlawyer. He identified himself with the cause of the workers at the time of the labour troubles of 1938 and donated time and advocacy to the cause. In September 1938, Manley founded the People's National Party (PNP) and was elected its President annually until his retirement in 1969, 31 years later.

  Manley and the PNP supported the trade union movement, then led by Alexander Bustamante, while leading the demand for Universal Adult Suffrage. When Suffrage came, Manley had to wait ten years and two terms before his party was elected to office. He was a strong advocate of the Federation of the West Indies, established in 1958, but when Sir Alexander Bustamante declared that the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) would take Jamaica out of the Federation, Norman Manley, already renowned for his integrity and commitment to democracy, called a referendum, unprecedented in Jamaica, to let the people decide.  The vote was decisively against Jamaica's continued membership of the Federation. Norman Manley, after arranging Jamaica's orderly withdrawal from the union, set up a joint committee to decide on a constitution for separate independence for Jamaica. He himself chaired the committee with great distinction and then led the team that negotiated the island's independence from Britain. The issue settled, Manley again went to the people. He lost the ensuing election to the JLP and gave his last years of service as Leader of the Opposition, establishing definitively the role of the parliamentary opposition in a developing nation. In his last public address to an annual conference of the PNP, he said: "I say that the mission of my generation was to win selfgovernmentfor Jamaica, to win political power which is the final power for the black masses of my country from which I spring. I am proud to stand here today and say to you who fought that fight with me, say it with gladness and pride, Mission accomplished for my generation. "And what is the mission of this generation? ... It is... reconstructing the social and economic society and life of Jamaica". Norman Manley died on September 2. 1969.

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Paul Bogle George

Paul Bogle, it is believed, was born free about 1822.  He was a Baptist deacon in Stony Gut, a few miles north of Morant Bay, and was eligible to vote at a time when there were only 104 voters in the parish of St. Thomas. He was a firm political supporter of George William Gordon.  Poverty and injustice in the society and lack of public confidence in the central authority urged Bogle to lead a protest march to the Morant Bay courthouse on October 11, 1865.

  National Heroes Page 3 of 4 march, nearly 500 people were killed and a greater number was flogged and punished before order was restored. Bogle was captured and hanged on October 24, 1865; but his forceful demonstration achieved its objectives. It paved the way for the establishment of just practices in the courts and it brought about a change in official attitude which made possible the social and economic betterment of the people.

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William Gordon

Born to a slave mother and a planter father who was attorney to several sugar estates in Jamaica, George William Gordon was self-educated and a landowner in the parish of St. Thomas. In the face of attempts to crush the spirit of the freed people of Jamaica and again reduce them to slavery, Gordon entered politics. He faced severe odds as the people whose interests he sought to serve did not qualify to vote. He subdivided his own lands, selling farm lots to the people as cheaply as possible, and organised a marketing system through which they could sell their produce at fair prices.

Gordon urged the people to protest against and resist the oppressive and unjust conditions under which they were forced to live.  Gordon was arrested and charged for complicity in what is now called the Morant Bay Rebellion in 1865. He was illegally tried by court martial and, inspite of a lack of evidence, convicted and sentenced to death. He was executed on October 23, 1865.

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Samuel Sharpe

Samuel Sharpe was the main instigator of the 1831 Slave Rebellion, which began on the Kensington Estate in St. James and which was largely instrumental in bringing about the abolition of slavery. Because of his intelligence and leadership qualities, Sam Sharpe became a "daddy", or leader of the native Baptists in Montego Bay. Religious meetings were the only permissible forms of organised activities for the slaves. Sam Sharpe was able to communicate his concern and encourage political thought,

 concerning events in England which affected the slaves and Jamaica. Sam evolved a plan of passive resistance in 1831, by which the slaves would refuse to work on Christmas Day of 1831 and afterwards, unless their grievances concerning better treatment and the consideration of freedom, were accepted by the state owners and managers.  Sam explained his plan to his chosen supporters after his religious meetings and made them kiss the Bible to show their loyalty. They, in turn took the plan to the other parishes until the idea had spread throughout St. James, Trelawny, Westmoreland, and even St. Elizabeth and Manchester.  Word of the plan reached the ears of some of the planters. Troops were sent into St. James and warships were anchored in Montego Bay and Black River, with their guns trained on the towns. On December 27,1831, the Kensington Estate Great House was set on fire, as a signal that the Slave Rebellion had begun. A series of other fires broke out in the area and soon it was clear that the plan of non-violent resistance, which Sam Sharpe had originated, was impossible and impractical. Armed rebellion and seizing of property spread mostly through the western parishes, but the uprising was put down by the first week in January. A terrible retribution followed. While 14 whites died during the Rebellion, more than 500 slaves lost their lives - most of them as a result of the trials after.  Samuel Sharpe was hanged on May 23, 1832. In 1834 the Abolition Bill, was passed by the British Parliament and in 1838, slavery was abolished. Sharpe had said: "I would rather die upon yonder gallows than live in slavery".

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Nanny

Nanny was a leader of the Maroons at the beginning of the 18th century. She was known by both the Maroons and the British settlers as an outstanding military leader who became, in her lifetime and after, a symbol of unity and strength for her people during times of crisis.  She was particularly important to them in the fierce fight with the British, during the First Maroon War from 1720 to 1739.   Although she has been immortalised in songs and legends, certain facts about Nanny (or "Granny Nanny",

 as she was affectionately known) have also been documented. Both legends and documents refer to her as having exceptional leadership qualities. She was a small, wiry woman with piercing eyes. Her influence over the Maroons was so strong, that it seemed to be supernatural and was said to be connected to her powers of obeah. She was particularly skilled in organising the guerilla warfare carried out by the Eastern Maroons to keep away the British troops who attempted to penetrate the mountains to overpower them.  Her cleverness in planning guerilla warfare confused the British and their accounts of the fights reflect the surprise and fear which the Maroon traps caused among them.  Besides inspiring her people to ward off the troops, Nanny was also a type of chieftainess or wise woman of the village, who passed down legends and encouraged the continuation of customs, music and songs, that had come with the people from Africa, and which instilled in them confidence and pride.  Her spirit of freedom was so great that in 1739, when Quao signed the second Treaty (the first was signed bv Cudjoe for the Leeward Maroons a few months earlier) with the British, it is reported that Nanny was very angry and in disagreement with the principle of peace with the British, which she knew meant another form of subjugation. There are many ledgends about Nanny among the Maroons. Some even claim that there were several women who were leaders of the Maroons during this period of history. But all the legends and documents refer to Nanny of the First Maroon War, as the most outstanding of them all, leading her people with courage and inspiring them to struggle to maintain that spirit of freedom, and life of independence, which was their rightful inheritance.