As a child, what I learned about the Indigenous people of the Caribbean could be summarized as follows:
- There were two tribes—the Arawaks and Caribs.
- The former were a peaceful, friendly people who were decimated by the latter who sought war indiscriminately and practiced cannibalism.
Contents
Who were the original inhabitants of the Caribbean islands?
The Taíno were an Arawak people who were the indigenous people of the Caribbean and Florida. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the principal inhabitants of most of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti), and Puerto Rico.
What two groups came to Caribbean?
The Dutch, the French, and the British followed one another to the region and established a long-term presence. They brought with them millions of slaves imported from Africa to support the tropical plantation system that spread through the Caribbean islands.
Who were the first group of settlers in the Caribbean?
The first proper European settlement in the Caribbean began when Nicolás de Ovando, a faithful soldier from western Spain, settled about 2,500 Spanish colonists in eastern Hispaniola in 1502.
Who came to the Caribbean first?
Christopher Columbus
The islands of the Caribbean were discovered by the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, working for the then Spanish monarchy. In 1492 he made a first landing on Hispaniola and claimed it for the Spanish crown as he did on Cuba.
What are the ethnic groups that came to the Caribbean?
Our main ethnicities are: Groups of Indigenous peoples, Africans, Indians, Europeans, Chinese and Portuguese. Indigenous peoples: Our earliest inhabitants were the Carib, Arawak and Ciboney groups of indigenous peoples who migrated from South America.
Which ethnic group came to Jamaica first?
Jamaica’s first inhabitants, the Tainos (also called the Arawaks), were a peaceful people believed to be from South America. It was the Tainos who met Christopher Columbus when he arrived on Jamaica’s shores in 1494.
What was the first Caribbean island discovered?
On October 12, 1492, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus made landfall in what is now the Bahamas. Columbus and his ships landed on an island that the native Lucayan people called Guanahani. Columbus renamed it San Salvador.
When did the Tainos came to the Caribbean?
The Taínos were present throughout the Caribbean islands from approximately 1200 to 1500 A.D., and when Christopher Columbus arrived in the region, the Taínos were the indigenous group he encountered.
Why the Spanish settled in the Caribbean?
When the Spanish (in the form of Columbus’s expedition) came to the Caribbean in the late 15th century, they were coming for “gold, God, and glory.” They wanted to get rich by finding gold, they wanted to spread Christianity, and they wanted to get glory (the glory of finding new things).
What year did the different ethnic groups came to Jamaica?
These periods are the Spanish from 1534 -1655 and the English from 1655 -1782.
Which ethnic group came to Jamaica second?
The Caribbean island of Jamaica was initially inhabited in approximately 600 AD or 650 AD by the Redware people, often associated with redware pottery. By roughly 800 AD, a second wave of inhabitance occurred by the Arawak tribes, including the Tainos, prior to the arrival of Columbus in 1494.
Who named the Caribbean?
The region lies southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and of the North American mainland, east of Central America, and north of South America. The region, situated largely on the Caribbean Plate, has more than 700 islands, islets, reefs and cays (see the list of Caribbean islands).
How many ethnic groups are in Jamaica?
Jamaicans are the citizens of Jamaica and their descendants in the Jamaican diaspora. The vast majority of Jamaicans are of African descent, with minorities of Europeans, East Indians, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and others of mixed ancestry.
What was the first ethnic group?
An October 2012 genetic study published in Science Magazine found that the Khoisan in southern Africa are the oldest ethnic group of modern humans, with their ancestral line originating about 100,000 years ago.
What are examples of ethnic groups?
Definitions for Racial and Ethnic Categories
- American Indian or Alaska Native.
- Asian.
- Black or African American.
- Hispanic or Latino.
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
- White.
What are the main ethnic groups?
Categorizing Race and Ethnicity
- White.
- Black or African American.
- American Indian or Alaska Native.
- Asian.
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
Who were the first Europeans to visit Jamaica?
Christopher Columbus
On May 3, 1494, Christopher Columbus sighted the island of Jamaica. Spanish colonists settled the island fifteen years later, and it fell into British hands in 1655. Although the Spanish introduced slavery to Jamaica, the British oversaw its development.
What does Trinidad and Jamaica have in common?
Trinidad and Tobago has a high commission in Kingston and Jamaica has a high commission in Port of Spain. Both countries are members of CARICOM and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
Which ethnic group came to Jamaica third?
Indians
Indians form the third largest ethnic group in Jamaica after Africans and non-African Multiracials.
Who discovered Barbados?
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to discover the island. Portuguese navigator Pedro A. Campos named it Os Barbados (meaning “bearded ones”).
