Exactly 52 years ago on July 28, 1959, Norman Washington Manley led the People’s National Party to a second-term victory. On August 14, 1959, Norman Manley became the premier of Jamaica. This was the final step in full self-government before Jamaica became politically independent on August 6, 1962. The PNP had achieved many things between 1955 and 1959, such as the start of the Common Entrance scholarship (now replaced by GSAT). There was the removal of the bicycle tax in 1955.

Between 1955 and 1959 the PNP was instrumental in the establishment of the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation for cultural reasons. Housing schemes were also built with promises of more to come. Jamaica got two new international airports. The Beach Control Authority was established which provided greater access of the public to Jamaican beaches.

Out of that policy to allow greater public access to beaches, Gunboat Beach on the then Palisadoes Road (now Norman Manley Highway) was opened on June 30, 1959 as the election came near. At the opening the then minister of education Florizel Glasspole (later governor general), in his capacity as the member for the House of Representatives for Eastern Kingston, made four promises that have not yet been fulfilled.

Glasspole promised overhead cable cars that would run from Wareika Hills to Port Royal. He also promised a road between Papine and Bull Bay (which the authorities are still working on 52 years later). He promised that there would be gondolas that would sail from Gunboat beach to Bournmouth and that the Lord Nelson Hotel would be built in Port Royal.

When the West Indies Federation started in 1958, the People’s National Party was affiliated to the West Indies Federal Labour Party while the Jamaica Labour Party was affiliated to the Democratic Labour Party. While the WIFLP won the election, the WIFLP/PNP alliance fared badly in Jamaica. Indeed, it seemed as if the PNP would have been a one-term government. But the PNP hired the 23-year-old Percival James Patterson as a political organiser, which resulted in a resounding victory for the PNP on July 28, 1959.

Of the 45 seats available in 1959, the PNP won 29 and the JLP won 16. The PNP gained 54 per cent of the votes. Perhaps there was a sympathy vote for Noel Nethersole who died on March 17, 1959. However, the main factor was the level of organisation done by PJ Patterson. But the 1959 election was the beginning of the end of the Federation of the West Indies that was established in 1958. It was also the beginning of Jamaica and other Caribbean islands “going solo” as separate independent nations.

DLP/JLP federal member of parliament Robert Lightbourne resigned from the Federal House to contest the Western St Thomas seat in the Jamaican legislature in 1959. Although the JLP lost in 1959, Lightbourne won his seat. Lightbourne’s resignation from the federal parliament created a need for a by-election. According to a story that has never been denied, Bustamante told his executive that the JLP would not contest the by-election because the party had no money.

The story further goes that one of Bustamante’s lieutenants said, “But, Chief, we can’t tell the people that we are not contesting the election because we have no money,” to which Chief answered: “Tell them we are against federation.” The by-election for the federal seat was won unopposed to the WIFLP/PNP. At the same time, Bustamante started an islandwide campaign against federation. So Norman Manley decided to call a referendum on September 19, 1961. The JLP campaigned on issues that were not relevant to the referendum such as the national stadium being a waste of money as well as the ministry of education (dubbed “Glasspole’s glasshouse”)

The Jamaican electorate voted to secede from the federation. The JLP won the general election that was held on April 10, 1962. Sir Alexander Bustamante became Jamaica’s second premier on April 24, 1962 and first prime minister of independent Jamaica on August 6, 1962. Had Norman Manley not called that snap election on July 28, 1959, Robert Lightbourne would not have resigned from the federal parliament until perhaps the following year when the election was constitutionally due. By 1960, Independence as a federation might have been closer to reality which would have been harder for Bustamante to turn back.

And Bustamante might not have come out so strongly against federation, so there would have been no referendum. Had there been no referendum, Jamaica would have achieved Independence as part of a federation. This means that Montserratt, which was part of the federation, would now be independent as part of the federation. With regard to Jamaica’s secession from the federation, it was Eric Williams, former prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, who said “One from 10 leaves nought”. This is the impact of July 28, 1959 on the history of Jamaica and the Caribbean.

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