From Miss Lou to Bob Marley and Usain Bolt to Kamala Harris, Jamaica has had an outsized reach in global mainstream culture. Yet many of its most important historical, cultural, and political events and aspects are largely unknown beyond the island. The Jamaica Reader presents a panoramic history of the country, from its precontact indigenous origins to the present. Combining more than one hundred classic and lesser-known texts that include journalism, lyrics, memoir, and poetry, the Reader showcases myriad voices from over the centuries: the earliest published black writer in the English-speaking world; contemporary dancehall artists; Marcus Garvey; and anonymous migrant workers. It illuminates the complexities of Jamaica's past, addressing topics such as resistance to slavery, the modern tourist industry, the realities of urban life, and the struggle to find a national identity following independence in 1962. Throughout, it sketches how its residents and visitors have experienced and shaped its place in the world. Providing an unparalleled look at Jamaica's history, culture, and politics, this volume is an ideal companion for anyone interested in learning about this magnetic and dynamic nation.

Diana Paton is William Robertson Professor of History at the University of Edinburgh.

Matthew J. Smith is Professor of History and Director of The Centre for the Study of Legacies of British Slave-Ownership, University College London.

Note on Abridgment  xvii
Acknowledgments  xix
Introduction  1
I. Becoming Jamaica  7
II. From English Conquest to Slave Society  49
III. Enlightenment Slavery  109
IV. Colonial Freedom  159
V. Jamaica Arise  209
VI. Independence and After  289
VII. Jamaica in the Age of Neoliberalism  363
VIII. Jamaicans in the World  435
Suggestions for Further Reading  487
Acknowledgments of Copyrights and Sources  493
Index  503