When Did the Spanish Arrive in Jamaica? 1509

The Spanish first settled Jamaica in 1509.

• Leader: Juan de Esquivel, appointed governor
• Base: Sevilla la Nueva (near present-day St. Ann's Bay)
• Tenure: 1510–1513 (died in office)

Context

Columbus sighted Jamaica in 1494 (2nd voyage) but didn't colonize. The 1509 settlement began 146 years of Spanish rule—ended when the English captured the island in 1655.

Spanish legacy: place names (Ocho Rios, Rio Bueno, Santa Cruz), cattle ranching, early African slavery, and the near-extinction of the native Taíno.