Caribbean Studies Seminar | The Long Road from Bog Walk: Electricity and Electrification in Jamaica, 1890s–1970s
Online : 23 September 2025 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm.
Seminar : Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies.
Speakers : Andrew Williams (University of the West Indies (Mona)).
The Long Road from Bog Walk: Electricity and Electrification in Jamaica, 1890s–1970s
This paper examines the history of electricity and electrification in Jamaica from the establishment of the first power station in 1891 to the end of Michael Manley’s first premiership in 1980. It takes a critical look at the island’s first power company, a creole creation, and the intervention of Canadian capitalists which culminated in the establishment of Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) in 1923. The paper charts the various power stations that were built over time, including the island’s second, a hydro plant at Bog Walk, which was used to power Kingston’s electrified municipal tramway. A broad picture of the electrification of the island, which was originally focused on urban areas, is painted, up to efforts to increase the electrification of rural areas in the 1960s and ‘70s. Part and parcel of rural electrification was the expansion of JPS’ hold over the island’s electricity supply, which gradually increased until it was first granted an all-island license in 1965. This paper will shine a light on the social history of electricity and the impact it had on lighting and household appliances. The paper will conclude with the nationalisation of JPS in 1970, the 1973 oil crisis and the consequences this had on Jamaica during one of the most turbulent periods of its history. […]
OpenEdition le sugiere que cite este post de la siguiente manera:
REGARDS CNRS (11 de septiembre de 2025). Caribbean Studies Seminar | The Long Road from Bog Walk: Electricity and Electrification in Jamaica, 1890s–1970s. Redial & Ceisal. Recuperado 9 de febrero de 2026 de https://doi.org/10.58079/14mhy








