From 1655 to 1809, over a million Africans were transported to Jamaica, making the island one of the largest destinations in the transatlantic slave trade. Drawn mainly from West and Central Africa, they endured brutal plantation conditions, resisted through rebellion and maroon communities, and laid the foundations of Jamaica’s culture and identity. Emancipation in 1838 ended slavery, but their legacy continued to shape the island’s language, music, spirituality, and national character.

NOTE: This episode includes material from The Forgotten Chapters—sections that did not appear in the book—and references a 2023 study by Dr Jenny Bulstrode arguing that enslaved Black metallurgists in Jamaica influenced wrought-iron production.