Jamaica

The 1820 Settlers were poor English people encouraged to settle in South Africa following Britain's unemployment problems after the Napoleonic Wars. The Dutch had colonised the area first, but lost their power in that continental squabble. Jamaica had first been colonised by the Spanish, but Spain attempted to invade England in the Catholic-Protestant wars in 1588, and lost most of their Naval strength. England became a naval power, and in 1655 took control of Jamaica. Not in the King's name. At that time Cromwell was in charge and Britain was a Commonwealth.  Under British colonial rule, Jamaica became a leading sugar exporter with plantations worked by slaves forcibly removed from West Africa. These slaves were emancipated, in 1838, at about the same time as those settlers were setting up in South Africa. Jamaica gained independence in 1962 as Britain gradually released its colonial grip following another European squabble - World War II. Jamaica and Sri Lanka's are the only flags in the world that don't feature any of the colours red, white or blue.