Date:

Port Royal – The Sodom of the New World

Port Royal, originally named Cagway, was an English harbour town and a notorious base for buccaneers and privateers during the 17th century AD.

The region around Port Royal was first occupied by the Taino, an indigenous people of the Caribbean who Christopher Columbus encountered during his voyage to the New World in 1492.

- Advertisement -

With the arrival of Europeans to the new continent, the Spanish landed in Jamaica in 1494, who planned to use Jamaica as a supply base for both New Andalusia and Nicuesa and take advantage of the natural resources. Having discovered little to no riches, the Spanish instead started to cultivate the land and established a colony for the processing of sugar cane.

During the Anglo-Spanish War, an English expeditionary force invaded Jamaica in 1655 and the entire island was formally ceded by Spain in the 1670 Treaty of Madrid. The English began to develop a new harbour town named Port Royal and constructed a series of forts for the town’s defence.

To provide further security for the town, Governor Edward D’Oley invited the Brethren of the Coast, a loose coalition of pirates and privateers commonly known as buccaneers to make the town their homeport of operations. The Brethren of the Coast were a regulated syndicate of captains with outside benefactors, who preyed upon Spanish maritime shipping for their cargo.

By the 1660’s, Port Royal had gained a reputation as the “Sodom of the New World” for notable privateers such as Christopher Myngs (who commanded whole fleets of buccaneers, sacking and massacring entire towns) and Henry Morgan (who raided shipping on the Spanish Main and attacked Panama City).

- Advertisement -

The port was also a base for buccaneers such as Roche Brasiliano (who was known to cut off the limbs of his captives and roast them alive on a spit), John Davis (who sacked the Dutch island of Tobago, near Trinidad) and Edward Mansvelt (who led the fleet which captured Granada and the island of Santa Catalina).

Submerged remains of Port Royal – Image Credit : National Geographic

This relationship greatly benefited the English crown, as it gave England the means to weaken Spain’s foothold in the Caribbean and America’s, without committing military forces in the endeavour.

The situation changed in 1687, when Jamaica passed anti-piracy laws and Port Royal became one of the primary sites of execution for pirate captains such as Charles Vane, Calico Jack (John Rackham) and Mary Read (a famed female pirate) who died in prison.

The town continued to prosper, and Port Royal grew to a population of around 6500 inhabitants. This rapid development led to a shortage of available land and houses were often built on reclaimed land from heavy brick construction.

On the 7th June, 1692 – the fortunes of Port Royal would change forever. Jamaica was hit by a large earthquake causing the land under Port Royal to liquefy and flow out into Kingston Harbour. Buildings would literally sink into a sludge resembling quicksand and the town was enveloped by a tsunami that followed.

In the aftermath, the lack of clean water, sewage and corpses deposited by the floodwaters led to malignant fever and cholera for the survivors. In the years that followed, attempts would be made to rebuild Port Royal, but mother nature would continue to strike down the “Sodom of the New World” with hurricanes, fires, and outbreaks of disease.

Header Image – Port Royal earthquake 1692 by Jan Luyken and Pieter van der Aa

- Advertisement -
spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img
spot_img
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Ancient Egyptian settlement discovered near Alexandria

Archaeologists excavating at Kom el-Nugus west of Alexandria have discovered the remains of a New Kingdom settlement.

Researchers uncover hidden inscriptions in Jerusalem’s Last Supper Room

An international team of researchers, including experts from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), have uncovered Medieval inscriptions hidden on the walls of the Cenacle – the traditional location of the Last Supper.

Thirty Years’ war camp excavation sheds light on military life

Archaeologists from the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation (BLfD) have excavated one of the largest fortified military camps of the Thirty Years' War, located in Stein, Germany.

Macabre book discovery at Suffolk Museum

A macabre book bound in human skin has been rediscovered at Moyse's Hall Museum in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Homeowner discovers hidden tunnel beneath townhouse

A homeowner unexpectedly discovered a hidden tunnel during renovations of their townhouse in Tielt, Belgium.

Armed in death: swords reveal warrior graves

Archaeologists from the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) have uncovered a necropolis with burials accompanied by richly adorned grave goods.

4,000 fragments of Roman wall paintings unearthed in Villajoyosa

Archaeologists excavating the Roman villa of Barberes Sud in Villajoyosa, Spain, have unearthed over 4,000 fragments of ornamental wall paintings.

Archaeologists solve the mystery of the “Deserted Castle”

Along the shores of a Danube tributary near Stopfenreuth are a section of ruined walls known locally as the “Deserted Castle”.