Updated May 1, 2018
On his second Caribbean voyage in search of a trade route to Asia, Christopher Columbus stumbled upon Jamaica on May 5, 1494. He was looking for the precious metal that gave the island it’s name, Xaymaca or “land of the blessed gold.” He was soon to discover that the island held no gold but was full of untouched resources that Columbus, and later Spanish sailors, needed; wood, water and a safe harbor to repair vessels.
