In the 19th century, hundreds of people had died fighting in rebellions all over the country. As a result of the rebellions, slavery was abolished. The Government was forced to improve medical and educational facilities. It set up fair courts, and it improved the roads.

The Economy

By the 20th century, conditions had improved. But life was still hard for ordinary people. Jamaica was part of the British Empire – group of countries ruled by Britain. So the island’s economy – system for managing its resources – was organized to Britain’s advantage. For example, the main crops were sugar and bananas, because Britain decided we should grow them. Britain prospered – made money – but most Jamaicans were very poor. They had no say in the country’s economic policy – plan.

The Earthquake of 1907

In 1907, when Marcus Garvey was 20, there was a terrible earthquake in Kingston. Many people were killed, or lost their houses. Fires raged for many days, and caused great destruction. The people suffered a lot. The next year, the printers at P.A. Benjamin went on strike for better pay.

As a foreman, Garvey was part of the management team. He did not have to go on strike, but he did so to support the workers. The strike did not last long, and some of the workers got their jobs back at Benjamin’s. Garvey did not, but he was taken on at the Government Printing Office.

In the early 20th, because of unemployment and low wages, many Jamaicans worked abroad. They went to Central America to work on sugar and banana plantations, the railways and the Panama Canal.

Garvey went to stay with his uncle in Costa Rica. He found a job as a time-keeper on a banana plantation. Later he went to Panama to work. In both countries, most West Indians had poor working conditions. The pay was higher than at home, but there were no banks, and often they were robbed of their savings. They had no pension, and no compensation if they were injured on the job. They suffered a lot from racial discrimination. Garvey was very upset by these conditions.

In Costa Rica he encouraged the workers to form a union to negotiate for better conditions. In both countries he started newspapers, and wrote about the conditions. In Costa Rica the paper was called La Naçion. In Panama it was La Prensa. Garvey was expelled – made to leave – from Costa Rica by the Government, because of his activities on behalf of the workers. So he visited Nicaragua, Guatemala, Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia.

Garvey returned to Jamaica in 1912. But soon afterwards he left for England, where his sister was a governess – private teacher. In London he continued his education, and qualified to go to university. He worked on two newspapers – the African Times and the Orient Review. He visited the British parliament to listen to debates – discussions. He also went to Hyde Park, to listen to informal – without rules – debates at Speaker’s Corner. Here, people can speak to passers-by on any subject. Many of the speeches are political. Garvey met many Africans in London. At that time Britain was an imperialist power. It believed in extending its power through colonies, by force – use of its army. Like Jamaica, many African countries were British colonies. So Africans went to Britain to work and to study. Garvey talked to students and dock workers from Africa. He learned that in some countries the colonial authorities cleared people off the land, and took it for themselves. They forced Africans to work for low wages. They practised racial discrimination.