Historical Organization
Government of Jamaica
Government of Jamaica
Details
Organization Timeline
Voters reject continued membership in the West Indies Federation
📅 19 September 1961On 19 September 1961, Jamaicans voted in a referendum on whether to remain in the West Indies Federation. A majority voted against remaining, and the result set Jamaica on a separate path toward...
Jamaica becomes independent
📅 6 August 1962On 6 August 1962, Jamaica became an independent state, ending formal British responsibility for governing the country. The locally drafted constitution came into effect, and the Jamaican flag was...
Jamaica first observes National Heroes Day
📅 20 October 1969On 20 October 1969, Jamaica first celebrated National Heroes Day, formally honoring figures whose work included resistance to slavery, anti-colonial struggle, labor organizing, and nation building....
Emancipation Day returns as a national public holiday
📅 1 August 1997On 1 August 1997, Jamaica reinstated Emancipation Day as a national public holiday, after the observance had been discontinued when independence celebrations replaced it in 1962. Restoring the date...
Jamaica files a petition seeking legal examination of chattel slavery
📅 7 September 2026On 7 September 2026, the Government of Jamaica filed a petition asking King Charles, as Jamaica’s head of state, to refer legal questions about chattel slavery in Jamaica to the Judicial Committee...