What is Jamaica?

0:00 Welcome to History's Not Boring by Kidopoly.com. I'm Mira. And I'm Finn. Before we start, a big hello to Killian, who is seven and lives in Ottawa, Canada. Killian has listened to dozens of episodes on his family's road trips.

0:16 He asked to learn about the history of his family's home country, Jamaica. So this one is for you, Killian.

0:23 And a very happy birth month to Vallin Victoria, who listens every day on the way to and from school and loves Greek mythology.

0:32 Happy birth month, Vallin Victoria!

0:34 If you haven't already, tap follow wherever you're listening so you never miss an episode.

0:40 So, Mira, what are we talking about today?

0:43 We are diving into the incredible story of Jamaica. A sun-drenched island in the Caribbean with towering mountains, hidden waterfalls, and a history of freedom fighters and world-class athletes. That sounds awesome. But first, Finn, did you know that the fastest human in history reached a top speed of 27.8 miles per hour?

1:07 No way! That's faster than cars driving through a neighbourhood.

1:12 It is! That speed belongs to Jamaican sprinter Hussein Bolt, who set the 100-meter world record in 2009 at an unbelievable 9.58 seconds.

1:25 9.58 seconds? I can barely tie my shoes that fast.

1:30 Well, speed, strength and resilience are a huge part of Jamaica's story. Let's travel back in time to see where it all began. If you look at a map of the Caribbean Sea, just south of Cuba, you'll find Jamaica. It's an island famous for its stunning beaches and massive peaks. How massive are we talking?

1:50 Like skyscraper massive? Even bigger! The highest point is Blue Mountain Peak, which towers 7,402 feet into the sky. Whoa, 7,402 feet? You'd be in the clouds. Literally, people actually hike it in pitch black darkness at 2 in the morning, just so they can reach the top to watch the sunrise over the ocean.

2:15 Whoo, 2 in the morning? I'd rather stay in bed, thanks. Who were the first people to live there?

2:21 Long before any Europeans arrived, the island was home to the Taino people. Before the year 1500, there were an estimated 100,000 Taino living there. What was life like for them? They were amazing farmers and seafarers. They lived in circular houses, slept in woven beds that they invented called hammocks, and called their island Zymaka.

2:46 Zimaka. What does that mean?

2:49 It means land of wood and water, because of the island's lush green forests and fast-flowing rivers. They also gave us words we use today, like canoe, hurricane, and barbecue. They invented the barbecue. I love these guys. They were a very peaceful people, but in 1494 everything changed. Christopher Columbus arrived on his second voyage across the Atlantic.

3:16 Uh-oh, Columbus usually brings trouble.

3:19 You're right. The Spanish colonisers claimed the island and forced the Taino into brutal, unpaid labour. Worse, the Spanish brought diseases that the Taino had no immunity to. That's so sad. What happened to them? It was a terrible tragedy. Within just a few decades, almost the entire Taino population of 100,000 people died from disease and harsh treatment.

3:47 But their legacy lives on in Jamaica's culture today. So the Spanish just took over the whole island? They did, but they didn't hold it forever. Fast forward to the year 1655, the British sent a massive fleet of ships and attacked the Spanish, capturing Jamaica. A massive fleet? Like how many ships? Dozens of ships, carrying over 7,000 soldiers.

4:15 The Spanish surrendered and fled, but before they left, some of their enslaved African workers managed to escape. Where did the freed people go? The British were taking over, right? Exactly. To avoid being enslaved by the British, these brave men and women escaped high into the dense, steep jungles of the Blue Mountains.

4:38 Smart move. Those mountains are over 7,000 feet high. The British would have a tough time finding them up there.

4:45 Spot on, Finn! These escaped people became known as the Maroons. Survival was incredibly difficult. They had to hunt wild boar in the jungle.

4:55 Ew, wild pigs! How did they cook them without the British seeing the smoke from their fires?

5:02 They were geniuses! They dug holes in the ground, filled them with pimento wood, seasoned the meat with salt and wild herbs, and buried it to roast underground. No smoke! Wait, is that? Yes! That's how world-famous Jamaican jerk cooking was born. But the Maroons did more than cook. They formed a powerful resistance, and their greatest leader was Queen Nanny, or Nanny of the Maroons.

5:30 Who was Nanny? Tell me everything. She was an incredible woman. Born in Ghana, Africa, around 1686, she survived the horrific journey across the Atlantic as an enslaved person before escaping into the Jamaican mountains. She survived all that and became a queen. She became the military leader of the Windward Marons.

5:53 She was a brilliant strategist, with piercing eyes, who commanded fierce loyalty. Nanny organised her people to defend their mountain villages against the British Empire. But the British had massive armies and guns. How did Nanny's people fight them? This became known as the First Maroon War, which lasted for years.

6:15 The British soldiers marched into the jungle, wearing their bright red coats.

6:21 Red coats in a green jungle. That's the worst camouflage ever!

6:27 Exactly. Nanny's warriors were masters of guerrilla warfare. They covered themselves in leaves and branches to become completely invisible in the jungle. Like real-life ninjas! Just like that. The British would walk right past them without knowing. Nanny was so successful that the British suffered huge losses.

6:49 Finally, in 1740, the British gave up and sued for peace.

6:55 Yes, they beat the British Empire.

6:58 What did they get? They signed a treaty on April 20, 1740, that granted Nanny and her followers 500 acres of land and guaranteed their freedom. To this day, Nanny is Jamaica's only female national hero and her face is on the Jamaican $500 bill.

7:18 That's incredible. But what was happening in the rest of Jamaica?

7:23 While the Maroons lived free in the mountains, the British turned the rest of Jamaica into giant sugar plantations. They brought hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans to the island.

7:34 That's terrible. It must have been awful.

7:38 It was brutal. The wealth from Jamaican sugar built huge parts of the British Empire, but it cost the blood, sweat, and lives of the enslaved people. Did they fight back like Nanny did? They did. There were many brave uprisings. The pressure from these rebellions and the fight against slavery worldwide finally forced the British to change.

8:03 In 1838, full emancipation was granted, meaning all enslaved people in Jamaica were finally free. Phew. So they got their country back. It took time, but yes. On August 6, 1962, Jamaica officially became an independent nation, ending over 300 years of British rule.

8:26 Happy Independence Day, Jamaica! So what happened after 1962?

8:31 Jamaica became a cultural powerhouse. For a small island, its impact on the world is massive.

8:38 Like what?

8:38 Music? Oh definitely! Jamaica invented reggae music, led by the legendary Bob Marley. His songs about love, peace, and standing up for your rights are still played all over the globe. That's awesome. And you said they're super fast, right? Yes! Jamaica produces some of the greatest athletes in history.

8:59 We talked about Usain Bolt running the 100m dash in 9.58 seconds. But the Jamaican women's track team is also legendary. They must have rockets in their shoes. It's all that good Jamaican food, like Aki and Saltfish, which is their national dish. Okay Finn, time for a weird fact.

9:20 Lay it on me.

9:21 Think about the flags of the world. Most flags use the colours red, white or blue. In fact, out of the fully recognized countries in the world, the Jamaican flag is the only one that doesn't have any red, white or blue in it.

9:36 Wait, really?

9:37 No red, white or blue at all? What colours is it? It's bold black, bright green and gold. The black stands for the strength and creativity of the people. The gold stands for the natural wealth and the sun. And the green stands for the lush vegetation of the island.

9:55 That is the coolest flag fact ever. I'm definitely going to test my friends on that. Alright, Finn, time for the quiz. Are you ready? Okay, I'm ready. Let's see what I remember. First question.

10:07 What did the Taino people originally call the island of Jamaica? Next one. In what year did the British attack with dozens of ships and take Jamaica from the Spanish? Question three. Who was the brilliant female military leader of the Windward Maroons? Here's number four. What world-famous style of cooking was invented by the Maroons hiding their fires underground.

10:46 Last question. Great job! Let's go through the answers. The first answer is they called it Zimaka, which means land of wood and water. For question two, the British took over in the year 1655. Number three, the answer is the legendary nanny of the Marons, or Queen Nanny. Question four, they invented jerk cooking.

11:22 And the final answer is Blue Mountain Peak is 7,402 feet high.

11:28 I got almost all of them! Jamaica's story is so cool. From Queen Nanny outsmarting the British in the jungle to Usain Bolt running 27.8 miles per hour.

11:39 It really is an incredible story of resilience and triumph. The Taino, the Maroons, and all the people who fought for freedom made the nation what it is today.

11:50 If you love learning about Nanny of the Marons or Usain Bolt, please leave us a five-star review. Just scroll down and tap the stars.

11:59 And be sure to follow this show wherever you are listening so you never miss an episode. Oh, and we have sister shows too. Science and philosophy is not boring, and math is not boring. Go give those a listen and a follow as well.

12:13 One your name on the show, like Killian and Valen Victoria. Send us an email at hello at kidopoly.com.

12:21 We love hearing from you. Thanks for joining us on this Jamaican adventure.

12:26 See you next time on History's Not Boring. Bye, everyone.