National Heroes Of Jamaica

In every country, there will always be people who will emerge as the leader of a revolt or conquest. If not for those who were so willing to lose their lives for a cause, there would not be much independence as it is experienced now by autonomous regions.

Alexander Bustamante was among the national heroes in Jamaica that began to make his presence felt when the country was still subject to a crown colony. It was at that period that the governor had the authority to veto at all times which he mostly exercised against what the locals desired. Quick to recognize that it was already crippling them, Alexander Bustamante slowly began to rise to action. There were poor working conditions, harvests failing and employee retrenchment. Due to such, there was mass migration but it did not solved the pressing problems. Alexander Bustamante sent a series of letters to the media, especially to the British- owned, about the injustices being done. In 1937 to 1938, he led the social unrest resulting in becoming the undisputed champion of the labor class.

Norman Manley was among the national heroes in Jamaica that was such a brilliant person. He was an athlete and lawyer as well as a soldier in the first World War. Dominantly, he is identified with the cause of the people at the age where there were a lot of employment dilemmas. by September of 193.8, Norman Manely established the People’s National Party and was elected as its chairman each year until he tendered his resignation, 31 years after. He together with his members supported the barter formation movement while he also fronted the demand for Universal Adult Suffrage.

Paul Boogle was among the national heroes in Jamaica that started out as a Baptist deacon in Stiny Gut. He was already qualified for voting when at that specific period, there were only a little more than a hundred voters in the Parish of Saint Thomas. A firm supporter of George William Gordon, he noticed the lack of public confidence as well as with increasing poverty. On October 11, 1865, he spearheaded a protest march going to the Morant Bay courthouse. It ended up in a violent confrontation wit the authorized enforces that left nearly 500 people killed. There was even a greater number that were punished before they were ordered to be restored.

Marcus Garvy was among the national heroes in Jamaica that was born in Saint Anne’s Bay. When he was a teenager, he moved to the capital of Kingston where he was employed as a printer where later, he was able to published “The Watchman”, a small- time paper. All throughout his career, he traveled much in many countries as he carefully observed the conditions of the underprivileged. By 1914, he founded by the Universal Negro Improvement Association in Jamaica. It grew into a continental union where it encouraged self- government for the blacks.