The History of Port Royal

Port Royal is currently a small fishing village in Jamaica, but it was once a large British town, built on the trade that took place there. It was, and is, famous for being a haven for pirates and privateers (legal pirates). Port Royal was once known as the "Storehouse and treasury of the West Indies" and the "Wickedest Place on Earth." These monikers say it all.

In May of 1655, Admiral William Penn and General Robert Venables invaded Jamaica after failing in their attempted invasion of the Spanish held island La Espanola. The attack was a last minute decision meant to lessen the shame of their defeat against the Spanish. Jamaica was not prepared for such an attack, so it was easily occupied by the British.

Within weeks, the British were building Passage Fort, or Fort Cromwell, on the spit between Kingston Harbor and the Caribbean Sea. Five years later, the town that sprang up around the fort was named Port Royal and the fort was renamed Fort Charles. The location gave the fort dominion over Kingston Harbor. No one could enter without first going past this point. The location, while ultimately being Port Royal's downfall, was the reason for the success of the burgeoning town.

Port Royal became an important location for all sea trade in the area, both legal and illegal. Slaves and stolen goods were a staple of Port Royal trade. Eventually, the town grew so prosperous as to rival the town of Boston. The two locations were the largest British towns in the Americas during the 1600s. However, Boston did not boast as much "immoral" activity as Port Royal. In other words, pirates were not so welcome there. By contrast, Port Royal was so well known for its pirate activity that it is one of the settings in Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" and in the 39 Clues book series.

The trade in Port Royal, whether honest or dishonest, made Jamaica a wealthy country, or at least a wealthy branch of the British Empire. Port Royal was the point through which every ship came to Jamaica. It was a major town in its time and became a significant part of maritime, British and trade history. However, in 1692, a natural disaster spelled the end of Port Royal's most successful years. In fact, it was the end of Port Royal, for the most part.

In the late morning of June 7, 1692, a great earthquake rocked Jamaica, sending nearly 70% of Port Royal into the Caribbean Sea. It is estimated that about 2,000 people died in the initial moments of the quake and the following tsunami. Another roughly 3,000 died in the aftermath. Much of what was in Port Royal that day remains underground and in the sea, waiting for archaeologists to find it. Some of it remains virtually as it was that day because the sand turned to something like quicksand and pulled whole buildings down. Due to the nature of the town, it is assumed that there are many buried goods one might refer to as "treasure."

Residents of Port Royal tried to restore the town to its former glory. However, disaster after disaster hit the town until all that was left is the fishing village on the spit there today. There was a widespread fire, a few hurricanes and yet another earthquake before people finally realized that the spit between Kingston Harbor and the Caribbean Sea was an unsafe place for a large town or city.

Sources

The History of Port Royal, retrieved 4/2/11, nautarch.tamu.edu/portrayal/prhist.htm