Jamaica. Welcome to Port Royal
In 1655, Jamaica, a Spanish colony, was taken by the British and became notorious as a base for Piracy. The unofficial capital, Port Royal, was the biggest port in the English colonies at that time, populated by pirates, slave traders, runaway slaves, and criminals. Once called the richest and the wickedest city in the world", Port Royal was also the virtual capital of Jamaica. To it came men of all races, treasures of silks, dubloons and gold from Spanish ship, looted on the high seas by the notorious "a Brethren of the Coast" as the pirates were called From here sailed the fleets of Henry Morgan, later lieutenant-governor of Jamaica, for the sacking of Camaguey, Maracaibo, and Panama, and died here despite the ministrations of his Jamaican folk doctor. Admirals Lord Nelson and Benbow, the schilling Edward "Blackbeard" Teach were among its inhabitants. The town flourished for 52 years until at 20 minutes to noon, June 7, 1692, it was partially buried in the sea by an earthquake.
