A Concise History of Jamaica

Kenneth Morgan is Professor of History at Brunel University London. An economic and social historian of the Atlantic world between 1650 and 1850, he is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

• Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. The Taino, c. 600–1508; 2. Spanish Jamaica, 1509–1655; 3. Creating an English Jamaica, 1656–1775; 4. From Slavery to Freedom, 1776–1865; 5. The Shadow of Colonialism, 1866–1944; 6. Modern Jamaica, 1945–2022; Conclusion.

'Jamaica punches above its weight in world history. It is a land of both tragedy - its brutal if hugely successful slave system - and triumph - enslaved resistance and emancipation and the making of a dynamic modern post-colonial society. Kenneth Morgan, a master of short-form history and a leading historian of Jamaica, surveys these tragedies and triumphs in a superb concise history. It is easily the best introduction to the history of this fascinating if complicated island. It is a magnificent addition to a wonderful book series.' Trevor Burnard, Wilberforce Professor of Slavery and Emancipation at the University of Hull and author of Writing Early America: From Empire to Revolution