August 6th: Jamaican Independence Day

Shortly after Emancipation Day, Jamaica celebrates its Independence. I guess I should provide a brief history. The natives, called Tainos, called the island Xaymaca, which meant the Land of Wood and Water. Christopher Columbus first claimed the island in the name of Spain in 1494. Due to disease, slavery and war, the Taino population eventually disappeared. And so the Spanish began to import African slaves in 1517. In 1670, after waging several battles with the Spanish, the British gained possession of the island in a treaty. In the nineteenth century, escalating revolts by the slaves eventually led to emancipation in 1834. Over time, Jamaicans gained greater political control until gaining independence on August 6^th, 1962. However, Jamaica still remains part of the Commonwealth.