Jamaica National Hero - Paul Bogle

Paul Bogle, it is believed, was born free about 1822. He was a Baptist deacon in Stony Gut, a few miles north of Morant Bay, and was eligible to vote at a time when there were only 104 voters in the parish of St. Thomas. Read more

Jamaica National Hero - Sam Sharpe

Sam Sharpe was the main instigator of the 1831 Slave Rebellion which began on the Kensington Estate in St. James and which was largely instrumental in bringing about the abolition of slavery. Read more

Jamaica National Hero - Alexander Bustamante

When Bustamante began to make his presence felt in Jamaica, the country was still a crown colony. Under this system, the Governor had, the right to veto at all times, which he very often exercised against the wishes of the majority. Read more

Jamaica National Hero - Nanny of the Maroons

Nanny was a leader of the Maroons at the beginning of the 18th century. She was known by both the Maroons and the British settlers as an outstanding military leader who became, in her lifetime and after, a symbol of unity and strength for her people during times of crisis. Read more

Jamaica National Hero - Marcus Garvey

Jamaica’s first national hero was born in St. Ann’s Bay on August 17, 1887. In his youth Garvey migrated to Kingston where he worked as a printer and later published a small paper “The Watchman”. Read more

Jamaica National Hero - George William Gordon

Born to a slave mother and a planter father who was attorney to several sugar estates in Jamaica, George William Gordon was self-educated and a landowner in the parish of St. Thomas. Read more

Jamaica National Hero - Norman Washington Manley

Norman Washington Manley was born at Roxborough, Manchester, on July 4, 1893. He was a brilliant scholar and athlete, soldier (First World War) and lawyer. He identified himself with the cause of the workers at the time of the labour troubles of 1938 and donated time and advocacy to the cause. Read more