| The English Conquest of Jamaica: Oliver Cromwell''s Bid for Empire Subjects: Cromwell Oliver 1599–1658; Great Britain -- History -- Commonwealth and Protectorate 1649–1660; Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1660–1688; Great Britain -- Foreign relations -- 1603–1688; Great Britain -- Colonies -- America; Jamaica -- His; In 1654, England's Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell conceived a plan of breathtaking ambition: the conquest of Spain's vast American empire. As the first phase of his Western Design, a large expedition sailed to the West Indies, under secret orders to take Spanish colonies. The English Conquest of Jamaica presents entrenched imperial fantasies confronting Caribbean realities. It captures the moment when the revolutionary English state first became a major player in the Atlantic arena. |