Statecraft & Independence
Landmark
Alexander Bustamante
1884 – 1977
Labour leader and Jamaica's first prime minister
Landmark is level 2 of 4 in the Jamaica Hall of Fame: a first that opened a door, or the pre-eminent figure of their generation in this country. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
The fiery labour leader who emerged from the 1938 unrest, founded a union and a party, and became Jamaica's first prime minister at independence in 1962.
Bustamante founded the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union in 1938 and the Jamaica Labour Party in 1943, winning the first election held under universal adult suffrage in 1944. He opposed the West Indies Federation and led the country into independence as its first prime minister. He was named a National Hero in 1969.
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