Tainos & Jamaicas settlement
When the name Jamaica is brought up many people think of vacation, beaches, relaxation, and fun. If you aren’t from Jamaica or haven’t done your research on the country, then you wouldn’t know that Jamaica is much more than that. Don’t get me wrong, Jamaica is known for being the perfect vacation spot due to the climate, the beaches, and the sceneries. When we dig further into Jamaica we learn that it wasn’t always this perfect get away location. We learned that the original settlers in Jamaica where forced into slavery, and became ill due to diseases brought over from other countries.
The Tainos, also known as Arawaks where originally from South America, before they came and settled in Jamaica. They first arrived to Jamaica around A.D 650. They originally named the Island Xaymaca, in translation the word meant “land of wood and water”. Jamaica became the perfect spot for them to settle due to the consistent climate, as well as the abundance of food from the ocean, and the crops that they were able to produce. The Tainos people live off of the sea food but also what the island had to offer them, such as a mix varieties of fruits, and vegetables. The Tainos created their houses out of wood and baboon sticks, all of which the island offered them.
The Tainos where very resourceful people. The Tainos would create basically nets that they would put in the water and catch fish. The Tainos would also catch conies which was one of two mammals, with the second one being a bat, on Jamaica. They would catch Conies with the help with their only domesticated animal, the Alcos which was a small dog breed. (Taino Indians) With being resourceful came the fact that the Tainos helped contribute to vary of different creations that people use to this day. For example the Tainos are responsible for the pipe, as well as tobacco. The Tainos would smoke tobacco leaves in a pipe. They were also the original barbecue maker. “One of their methods of food preparation was with the 'barbacoa'. This is a wooden grate standing on four forked sticks placed over a slow fire. On this they spit-roasted fish and meat. This was the forerunner to the present barbecue grill.” (The Tainos). These are just a couple creations that the Taino people are responsible for.
Christopher Columbus discovered Jamaica on May 5th 1494. He was told that there was gold located on Jamaica. Which later he will realize that that isn’t the case. When he arrived he came across the Taino Arawak people. Christopher Columbus realized that the Taino were not hostile people, in which he turned around and enslaved them. Due to the harsh treatments the Taino people had to go through caused many of them to die. The main reason for why the Taino people dies off on the island was because of the diseases that the Europeans brought with them
The video I watched titled Guns, Germs, and Steel talked about how when different areas where inhabited by other people from different locations either or, or both groups would possibly become ill due to sicknesses that the other group of people brought with them. In this case the Europeans brought diseases that the Taino people had not been immune to and became deathly sick and died off. This was the main cause as to why the Taino people no longer inhabited the island in that time. This led into Europeans going and enslaving Africans to work on the island for them. Which is another contribution to the history of Jamaica. Overall the original settlement of Jamaica was done by the Taino people.
Taino Indians. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2015.
THE TAINOS. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2015, from http://www.nlj.gov.jm/FeastingontheHeritage/tainos.htm
The Tainos, also known as Arawaks where originally from South America, before they came and settled in Jamaica. They first arrived to Jamaica around A.D 650. They originally named the Island Xaymaca, in translation the word meant “land of wood and water”. Jamaica became the perfect spot for them to settle due to the consistent climate, as well as the abundance of food from the ocean, and the crops that they were able to produce. The Tainos people live off of the sea food but also what the island had to offer them, such as a mix varieties of fruits, and vegetables. The Tainos created their houses out of wood and baboon sticks, all of which the island offered them.
The Tainos where very resourceful people. The Tainos would create basically nets that they would put in the water and catch fish. The Tainos would also catch conies which was one of two mammals, with the second one being a bat, on Jamaica. They would catch Conies with the help with their only domesticated animal, the Alcos which was a small dog breed. (Taino Indians) With being resourceful came the fact that the Tainos helped contribute to vary of different creations that people use to this day. For example the Tainos are responsible for the pipe, as well as tobacco. The Tainos would smoke tobacco leaves in a pipe. They were also the original barbecue maker. “One of their methods of food preparation was with the 'barbacoa'. This is a wooden grate standing on four forked sticks placed over a slow fire. On this they spit-roasted fish and meat. This was the forerunner to the present barbecue grill.” (The Tainos). These are just a couple creations that the Taino people are responsible for.
Christopher Columbus discovered Jamaica on May 5th 1494. He was told that there was gold located on Jamaica. Which later he will realize that that isn’t the case. When he arrived he came across the Taino Arawak people. Christopher Columbus realized that the Taino were not hostile people, in which he turned around and enslaved them. Due to the harsh treatments the Taino people had to go through caused many of them to die. The main reason for why the Taino people dies off on the island was because of the diseases that the Europeans brought with them
The video I watched titled Guns, Germs, and Steel talked about how when different areas where inhabited by other people from different locations either or, or both groups would possibly become ill due to sicknesses that the other group of people brought with them. In this case the Europeans brought diseases that the Taino people had not been immune to and became deathly sick and died off. This was the main cause as to why the Taino people no longer inhabited the island in that time. This led into Europeans going and enslaving Africans to work on the island for them. Which is another contribution to the history of Jamaica. Overall the original settlement of Jamaica was done by the Taino people.
Taino Indians. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2015.
THE TAINOS. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2015, from http://www.nlj.gov.jm/FeastingontheHeritage/tainos.htm
Additional links for more information
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/caribb/jamaica/jmlandst.htm#page
This is a good webpage to visit to get an overview of Jamaica. There is information such as longitude/latitude, weather information, and much more!
http://www.populstat.info/Americas/jamaicag.htm
This page is also a good page to look at. You can view things such as traffic, communication, as well as landmarks!
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/caribb/jamaica/jmlandst.htm#page
This is a good webpage to visit to get an overview of Jamaica. There is information such as longitude/latitude, weather information, and much more!
http://www.populstat.info/Americas/jamaicag.htm
This page is also a good page to look at. You can view things such as traffic, communication, as well as landmarks!