A Struggling Economy: Jamaica and U.S. Relations
Introduction:
In “Jamaica : a guide to the people, politics, and culture” Marcel Bayer asserts that almost every country in the Caribbean since colonialism has been affected, in one way or another, by the rule of the United States. According to Bayer, the United States’ influence on the Caribbean has been perpetuated by four American interests: 1) the encouragement of trade, 2) the protection of U.S. investments, 3)the formation of alliances to prevent intervention and 4) the promotion of regional support for U.S. international goals (Bayer, 39). In alignment with Bayer’s statement, many historians, politicians and economists alike have traced the history of the United States in the Postcolonial Caribbean and have shown how U.S. affairs through trade and policy have differed from island to island. For instance, due to the fear of communist expansion, the United States has invested a considerable amount of time and energy in countries, like Jamaica, that have seemingly shadowed Cuba’s “oppressive” government. As a result, this paper will provide a historical examination of how Jamaica’s economy has been influenced by U.S. relations during the postcolonial era. Within this essay, I will address the following sectors: agriculture, manufacturing, emigration, textile and entertainment. In addition, to further my analysis of Jamaica’s devastating economy, I have also included responses from three Jamaican members of Stanford’s Caribbean Student Association (CSA). To protect my informants’ right to confidentiality, I will not include their names in this essay. Yet, before addressing this topic any further, I will now give a brief overview of Jamaica’s history of colonization, i...
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Jamaica was ruled by the British government from 1655-1962 after being seized from Spain. While under British rule, the economy flourished by growing crops like tobacco, indigo, cocoa, and, most significantly, sugar. From 1673 to 1739, the number of sugar estates grew 7.54%, increasing from 57 to 430 estates. In order to meet the increasing labor demand, the British brought enslaved Africans into Jamaica. However, due to frequent slave rebellions and other humanitarian efforts, slavery was abolished in 1808, at which time Jamaica began facing economic difficulty. This difficulty can be attributed to factors such as new owners running the sugar plantations, a severe drought which ruined most of the crops, and the American Civil War limiting the island’s receipt of supplies. ("The History Of Jamaica")
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