Alexander Bustamante
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He was born William Alexander Clarke to an Irish planter and an African mother but claimed that he took the name Bustamante to honour an Iberian sea captain who befriended him in his youth.
After travelling the world, including working as a policeman in Cuba and as a dietician in a New York City hospital,he returned to Jamaica in 1932 and became a leader of the struggle against colonial rule. He first brought himself to public attention as a writer of letters to the Daily Gleaner newspaper; in 1937 he became treasurer of the Jamaica Workers' Union which had been founded by labour activist Allan G.S. Coombs. During the 1938 labour rebellion he quickly became identified as the spokesman for striking workers, and first manifested the charisma that was to lead to a distinguished political career.
He was imprisoned for subversive activities in 1940 however the anti-colonial effort resulted in the granting of universal suffrage to Jamaica. Upon his release, in 1943, he founded the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union and the Jamaican Labour Party which won 22 of 32 seats in the first House of Representatives elected by universal suffrage, making Bustamante the unofficial government leader (as Minister for Communications) until the position of Chief Minister was created in 1953. He held this position until the JLP was defeated in 1955.
Though initially a supporter, he came to be an opponent of the Federation of the West Indies and agitated for Jamaica's status as an independent state. It was Bustamante's decision that the JLP would not contest a by-election to the federal parliament that resulted in his rival and cousin, Premier Norman Manley, calling the referendum in 1961 that led to Jamaica's withdrawal and the break-up of the Federation.
Jamaica was granted independence in 1962 and Bustamante served as the independent country's first Prime Minister until 1967. However, in 1965 he withdrew from active participation in public life, and real power was held by his deputy, Donald Sangster. His cousin, Norman Manley, founded the JLP's chief rival, the People's National Party.
External link
- Sir Alexander Bustamante (http://www.moec.gov.jm/heroes/bustamante.htm) biography
| Preceded by: None (New Position) | Chief Minister of Jamaica 1953-1962 | Succeeded by: Norman Manley |
| Preceded by: Norman Manley | Prime Minister of Jamaica 1962-1967 | Succeeded by: Sir Donald Sangster |