The Order of the National Hero is an honour awarded by the government of

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

. It is a part of the Jamaican honours system that has been in place since 1969.

Description

The highest of the five

Jamaican Orders of the Societies of Honour The Jamaican honours system has developed as a unique entity since the passage of the ''National Honours and Awards Act'' by the Parliament of Jamaica in 1969 (Act No. 21 of 1969). The system is modelled largely on the British honours system, which ...

, the Order of National Hero is given only to Jamaican citizens for "services of the most distinguished nature" to the nation. It can be awarded either posthumously or on the occasion of the recipient's retirement from active public life."National Honours and Awards"
, Jamaica's Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade, accessed April 13, 2006. Recipients are permitted to wear the insignia of the Order, and they are given the style of " The Right Excellent"."National Awards of Jamaica"
, Jamaica Information Service, accessed May 12, 2015. They are also traditionally honoured with a tomb or monument in National Heroes Park, as well as a plaque or shield displayed in some prominent national place, such as the Institute of Jamaica. The title of "National Hero of Jamaica" or the post-nominal letters ONH can be used following a recipient's name. The Order of National Hero was created by the ''National Honours and Awards Act'', which was passed by Parliament in 1969. This act also designated Paul Bogle,

George William Gordon George William Gordon (1820 – 23 October 1865) was a wealthy mixed-race Jamaican businessman, magistrate and politician, one of two representatives to the Assembly from St. Thomas-in-the-East parish. He was a leading critic of the colonial ...

, and Marcus Garvey as the first three recipients of the honour. The insignia of the Order of National Hero is a fourteen-pointed gold and white star, centered on a black enameled medallion. The medallion features the

Jamaican coat of arms Considered as a legacy from the British with slight modifications, the Jamaican coat of arms was granted to Jamaica in 1661 under Royal Warrant. The original was designed by William Sancroft, then Archbishop of Canterbury. Official description T ...

in gold

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

, and it is encircled by the motto of the Order, which is "He built a city which hath foundations". The insignia is typically worn on a neck ribbon in the national colors of Jamaica (black, gold and green), along with a laurel wreath of gold and green enamel.

Recipients

, the Order of National Hero has been conferred upon 7 recipients: *Sir

Alexander Bustamante Sir William Alexander Clarke Bustamante (born William Alexander Clarke; 24 February 1884 – 6 August 1977) was a Jamaican politician and labour leader, who, in 1962, became the first prime minister of Jamaica. Early life and education He was ...

* Marcus Garvey *

* Norman Manley * Nanny of the Maroons *

Samuel Sharpe Samuel Sharpe, or Sharp (1801 – 23 May 1832), also known as Sam Sharpe, was an enslaved Jamaican who was the leader of the widespread 1831–32 Baptist War slave rebellion (also known as the Christmas Rebellion) in Jamaica. He was proclaim ...

* Paul Bogle

References

;General
Order of National Hero
Jamaica Information Service.
Order of National Hero
Office of the Prime Minister. ;Inline

National Hero The title of Hero is presented by various governments in recognition of acts of self-sacrifice to the state, and great achievements in combat or labor. It is originally a Soviet-type honor, and is continued by several nations including Belarus, Ru ...

Awards established in 1969 Hero (title) {{ODM-stub