Jamaica House of Assembly: The independence trial run

On August 6, 1962, the British Crown officially granted Jamaica the right to political independence. However, this was not the first time the Crown granted the island some of the rights of an independent state, specifically the right to self-governance. Although not considered an independent state in 1664, a proclamation from King Charles II permitted the establishment of a local government system similar to the island’s modern parliamentary system to govern the island on the Crown’s behalf.

The government was headed by a governor, a crown-appointed representative who functioned as an agent of the imperial government. The governor acted under the advice of a bicameral legislature consisting of an Upper House, populated by the Legislative Council, elite noblemen directly appointed by the governor or the Crown, and a Lower House, populated by the House of Assembly, an elected group of local farmers and merchants. This system granted Jamaica a form of pseudo-independence, whereby the Crown empowered the House of Assembly to govern the island and pass laws through the governor, much like today’s House of Parliament, provided they did not interfere with imperial laws or proclamations.

The Jamaica House of Assembly held its first meeting on January 20, 1664, most likely at the Old King’s House in modern-day Spanish Town, with Robert Freeman, the representative of the Morant District in St Thomas, serving as the first Speaker of the House. Only white men who owned a significant amount of land were qualified to be elected to the Assembly. This essentially established a plantocracy (a farmer oligarchy) on the island since only white farmers or individuals closely associated with the planter class, such as merchants, were eligible. This requirement created a massive power imbalance, with only 12 districts across the island being represented.

PROTESTS

Frustration with the plantocracy grew steadily over time, culminating in protests, activism, and pushbacks from both local and international stakeholders. To lessen the inequality of power, diversify the Assembly’s representation, and appease the restless population, the Assembly lowered the qualifications for election to the Assembly to any white man who owned any form of property on the island, thereby increasing the number of represented districts to 24.

The Assembly spent most of the 1670s and 1680s quarrelling with monarchs Charles II and James II and their appointed governors over diversifying slave suppliers and property rights. The Crown insisted that only the Royal African Company, which had monopolised African trade in Jamaica, could import slaves. At the same time, the Assembly wished to diversify and expand the slave trade. The Assembly itself experienced internal strife among factions arguing over property and product rights.

One of the Assembly’s most significant challenges arose in 1687, when Governor Christopher Monck, the Duke of Albemarle, who was more interested in treasure hunting, assumed office. Monck believed that piracy was the cornerstone of Jamaica’s economy and preferred to set his attention on further developing privateer culture. Instead of quarrelling with the Assembly, he turned the plantocracy out of office, temporarily ending governance through the House of Assembly. Monck died in office a few months later in 1688, and the exiled farmers quickly lobbied King James II to reappoint the plantation-based House of Assembly, re-establishing the farmer oligarchy.

SCRUTINY

After the abolition of slavery, the requirements to join the Assembly once again came under scrutiny. Free black and mixed-race Jamaicans began demanding political rights, including the ability to hold office and vote for their district representative. Civil-rights activists like Edward Jordon and Robert Osborn led campaigns, forming political movements that pressured the Assembly to pass new legislation to increase representational diversity. Their efforts were successful, and in 1840, Blacks and mixed-race property-owning men were allowed to join the Assembly, and the number of represented districts was further increased.

The Assembly continued to govern the island until 1865, when it faced its last challenge. The Morant Bay Rebellion was an explosive and pivotal response to the complex interplay of political, economic, and social factors stemming from the legacy of slavery and the ongoing inequalities faced by the black population. What started as a protest escalated into a violent confrontation with authorities. Over two dozen officials and militiamen were killed, over 30 black civilians were killed, and over 600 more were beaten. Following the Morant Bay Rebellion, the Assembly believed it could no longer maintain order on the island or protect its values. This led the Assembly voting to abolish itself and the Legislative Council, permanently ending Assembly governance in colonial Jamaica. The island then once again became a Crown Colony directly ruled by the British monarch through the governor and a newly appointed Legislative Council.

This book sleeve from the National Museum’s collection, which once housed the Assembly’s book of laws, stands as one of the last physical remnants of the House Assembly’s government of Jamaica.

– Submitted by Romaine Thomas, assistant curator at the National Museum Jamaica, Institute of Jamaica.