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Evidence suggests that the first Africans in Jamaica came from the Bakongo people of Angola. The Spanish bought about 4,000 Africans from the Portuguese between 1513 and 1521 and took them to the Greater Antilles - 300 were taken to Jamaica. The Portuguese importation of Africans from Central West Africa into Central America was well established at that time. Cotton and livestock were the main produce in Jamaica. King Ferdinand of Spain initially intended for the Africans to be used as house servants and the Tainos remain as the field hands, partly to prevent conflict between the two groups. The rapid multiplication of livestock, mainly cattle, horses and pigs, dictated that the faster growing number of Africans be used in the field.

By the start of the 17th century, the Tainos were wiped out. On may 10th 1655, when the English invaded Jamaica under the command of Penn and Venables, the Spanish population was about one thousand, and not prepared for war. In 1660, the Spanish resistance was finally broken and in 1662 the first English Governor, Lord Windsor, was sent to Jamaica.

At the end of 1662, the white population in Jamaica was 4,205. There were 552 Africans and 2,917 acres of land were planted. The English sought to buy Africans from the Portuguese, but was dissatisfied with the service received from the Portuguese. The number of free Africans, who had escaped plantation life for the hills shortly after the Spanish took them to Jamaica, was unknown. They joined the Tainos in the hills and became Maroons.

In 1670, the white population had grown to 7,968 and sugarcane became king. Very few slaves were imported into the island since 1662; therefore, the existing slaves were being worked to death. The pressure on the slaves can be understood from the following statistics. From 2,017 acres cultivated in 1662, the figure rose to 140,000 acres cultivated in 1664. Extreme cruelty to slaves caused increase runaways. At the time there were 57 sugar factories and estates, 47 cocoa plantations, 40 indigo works and three salt ponds in the island.