Colony of Jamaica

Crown Colony of Jamaica and Dependencies
1655–1962
Flag (1957–1962) Badge (1957–1962)
Motto: Indus Uterque Serviet Uni "The two Indies will serve as one"
Anthem: God Save the Queen (1837–1901; 1952–1962) God Save the King (1745–1837; 1901–1952)
Status	Colony of England (1655–1707) Colony of Great Britain (1707–1800) Colony of the United Kingdom (1801–1962)[a]
Capital	Spanish Town (1655–1872) Port Royal (de facto, 1655–1692) Kingston (1872–1962)
Common languages	English, Jamaican Patois, Spanish, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Irish, African languages, Hindustani, Chinese, Arabic
Ethnic groups	Afro-Jamaican, Multiracial, European, Indian, Chinese, Hispanic, Arab, Jewish
Religion	Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Bedwardism, Rastafari Akan religion, Afro-American religion, Chinese folk religion, Judaism
Government	Vicegerency under a parliamentary republic (1655–1660) Viceroyalty under a constitutional monarchy (1660–1962)
Head of State
• 1655–1658	Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell
• 1952–1962	Queen Elizabeth II
Governor
• 1655	William Penn
• 1957–1962	Sir Kenneth Blackburne
Chief Minister
• 1953–1955	Alexander Bustamante
• 1955–1962	Norman Manley
Legislature	Parliament
• Upper house	Legislative Council
• Lower house	House of Representatives
History
• Established	10 May 1655
• Attachment of Bay Islands British Honduras Cayman Islands Turks and Caicos	15 June 1852 1749 18 July 1670 4 April 1873
• Detachment of Bay Islands British Honduras Cayman Islands Turks and Caicos	14 July 1860 2 October 1884 4 July 1959 4 July 1959
• Independence	6 August 1962
Population
• 1943[1]	1,249,900
• 1956[2]	1,577,410
Currency	Spanish dollar (1655–1840) Jamaican pound (1840–1962) British West Indies dollar (1954–1962)
ISO 3166 code	JM
Preceded by Succeeded by Spanish Jamaica Spanish West Indies Captaincy General of Guatemala Turks and Caicos Islands Jamaica Cayman Islands Bay Islands British Honduras Turks and Caicos Islands

Part of a series on the
History of Jamaica
Pre-Columbian Jamaica
Taíno people
Spanish Jamaica
Spanish settlement Taíno genocide
English Jamaica
Invasion of Jamaica 1692 Jamaica earthquake First Maroon War Tacky's War Second Maroon War Baptist War Morant Bay rebellion Rastafari movement
Independent Jamaica
Independence of Jamaica Jamaican political conflict
Jamaica portal
v t e

The Crown Colony of Jamaica and Dependencies was a colony of the British Empire from 1655 to 1962. English forces launched an invasion of Jamaica in 1655, capturing the colony. Jamaica was primarily used for exploiting sugarcane on plantations operated by African slaves and indentured servants from Europe and India, and experienced several rebellions over the course of British rule.^[3] The colony was granted independence in 1962.^[4]

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