The University of the West Indies is always very conscious of the importance of research and the resulting publications which document the social history of the island, and it is to this end that the Social History Project was established in 1979 by the Department of History.

The Project, which has an impressive publications record, was established mainly to provide an important vehicle for the work of graduate students who research the social history of Jamaica since 1838, relying on oral history, as well as other forms of documentation. The work has been made possible through a series of grants from the Research and Publications Committee of the University - grants which have enabled the institution to acquire material from the Public Records Office in London covering the period after 1834, and other documentation that provide important information on the early history of this period. The grants also facilitate oral research in 20th century Jamaica. The tapes and transcripts are preserved in the Library of the University at Mona.

Other grants have funded publications relating to early Jamaican census, the living conditions of the urban and rural poor, the post-Emancipation period, the labour rebellion of 1938, the role of Women, and crime and punishment in Jamaica. The Project intends to identify ways to bring its findings to the wider community, through collaboration with the National Library of Jamaica, and with the recently restored Liberty Hall which concentrates on the Legacy of Marcus Mosiah Garvey.

A country cannot hope to make positive change for a better future if it is not aware of the history which brought it to the present moment in time. The Social History Project, over 25 years, has been the facility through which information on Jamaica’s past has been collated, analyzed, and used as an educational tool for our people. It remains one of the most important initiatives in the University of the West Indies, and is committed to continuing to provide the public with an understanding of our history, which must be the foundation on which we can build a better future.