On this day - 6 August
Historical items of interest as featured in the papers of the day.
Jamaican independence day
On August 6th 1962 Jamaica became independent from the United Kingdom. Since then, Jamaican independence day is celebrated every August 6th.
Jamaica first became an imperial colony in 1509 when the Spanish took the island and attacked the natives in an attempt to eradicate them. In 1655 the United Kingdom captured the island and claimed it. Two wars occurred between the native people and the British in the 1700s with each side claiming a victory. In the 1800s the Jamaicans gained suffrage but it wasn't until 1962 that the UK granted Jamaica its independence.
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