Jamaica was discovered in 1494 by Christopher Columbus. He arrived to see that the island was already taken by 50,000 to 60,000 Taino Indians and Arrawaks who had settled somewhere in 700-800 AD. In 1509 Jamaica was governed under a Spanish flag by Juan Esquivel. After the maltreatment and conditions had killed of many of the Arrawaks the importation of slaves from Africa started.

16 years after the English had conquered Jamaica the slaves became property of the English under the Treaty of Madrid. Before most of the Spainards fled from Jamaica they told their slaves to help fight off the newcomers and run for freedom. Most of the ones who did ran to the mountains and became the Maroons,Jamaica's first rebelion. Most of the first Jamaican slaves had their own religions from where they orriginated from. Many of the Spainards and English tried to convert them to Christiantity. Some of them from Africa were said to have tried different types of voodoo that they brought with them from thier homes before slavery.