Sir Alexander Bustamante, National Hero
From Jamaica2Rhatid
Son of Irish planter Robert Constantine Clarke and coloured Jamaican woman Mary Clarke, "Busta" or "The Chief" was born in 1844 and registered William Alexander Clarke. He later change his name by deed poll to William Alexander Bustamante.
Busta left Jamaica in 1905 and live in such countries as Cuba, Panama and the United States of America. On his return to Jamaica in the mid 1930s he started a very successful money lending business. He quickly became aware of the abject poverty of the masses and wrote numerous letters to "The Daily Gleaner" and British newspapers exposing the social and economic hardship of the masses.
He was involved in every activity which highlighted the terrible plight of the majority of the people between 1934 and 1937. His involvement in a disturbance in Frome after 6 persons where killed, 50 wounded and 89 arrested stamped his place as a champion of the people. He became the treasurer of the Jamaica Workers and Trademen Union founded by AGS Coombs and later its leader.
Arrests and BITU
Bustamante and St William Grant were arrested and charged for causing disturbances in the country, which could lead to overthrow of the Government. Some waterfront workers who were on strike refused to return to work before Bustamante's release; regardless of what other terms were offered. On May 28, 1938 both men were freed on bail. Later the charges were dropped.
The Bustamente Industrial Trade Union(BITU) was founded in May 1938 with the support of the People's National Party(PNP), also founded in 1938 and of which Bustamente was a part. He soon left the PNP and concentrated on the labour movement. He was placed in detention at Up Park Camp on September 8, 1940 after calling more than three major strikes in less than a year and released February 8, 1942, 17 months later.
JLP Formed
Bustamante claimed the PNP betrayed his trust and spoke out causing a split in the political movement and the birth of the Jamaica Labour Party(JLP) in 1943. The JLP won the first two(2) general election under universal adult suffrage, December 1944, 22 of 32 seats and again in 1949. Bustamante become the leader of the opposition in 1955 after losing the general election to the PNP. He was conferred the title "Knight Bachelor" in 1955.
On August 6, 1962, Bustamante became the first prime minister of independent Jamaica after the JLP won the general election of April 10, 1962. He retired in 1967 and died August 6, 1977, he was 93.
