The earliest inhabitants of Jamaica were the Indigenous Redware, Tainos, and Arawack peoples. Enslaved Africans were first brought to Jamaica by the Spanish, who colonised the island in 1494 and subsequently by the British who colonised Jamaica in 1655. A trade route emerged called the Triangular Trade. At the peak of production, Jamaica produced over 100,000 tonnes of sugar.

The most famous slave resistance leader in Jamaican history is Queen Nanny, the leader of a community called the Windward Maroons, who is celebrated today as a Jamaican National Hero.

Another National Hero is Marcus Garvey, a 20th century political activist who sought to 

end European colonial rule across Africa, and to unite Africans and the African diaspora. 

To this day, African influences are deeply embedded into Jamaican culture, from food such as ackee and saltfish, to music such as reggae to religions such as the Rastafari movement.