View source for Port Royal

{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use Jamaican English|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Port Royal
| native_name        = Puot Rayal
| native_name_lang   = jam
| settlement_type    = City
| image_skyline      = Old Port Royal - Project Gutenberg eText 19396.png
| image_alt          = 
| image_caption      = An illustration of pre-1692 Port Royal
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| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = [[Jamaica]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[Parishes of Jamaica|Parish]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]]
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| established_title  = Founded
| established_date   = 1494
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| extinct_title      = Destroyed
| extinct_date       = 1692
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| footnotes          = {{designation list | embed = yes
| designation1 = WHS
| designation1_offname  = The Archaeological Ensemble of 17th Century Port Royal
| designation1_criteria = iv, vi
| designation1_number = 1595<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1595/ |title=The Archaeological Ensemble of 17th Century Port Royal |publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |accessdate=12 July 2025 }}</ref>
| designation1_date = 2025
| designation1_type = Cultural
| designation1_free1name = UNESCO region
| designation1_free1value = [[List of World Heritage Sites in the Caribbean|Latin America and the Caribbean]]
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}}

'''Port Royal''' ({{langx|jam|Puot Rayal}}) was a [[town]] located at the end of the [[Palisadoes]], at the mouth of [[Kingston Harbour]], in southeastern [[Jamaica]]. Founded in 1494 by the [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]], it was once the largest and most prosperous city in the [[Caribbean]], functioning as the centre of shipping and commerce in the Caribbean Sea by the latter half of the 17th century.<ref name=BBCKingston>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-18601357 |title=Jamaica's 'wickedest city' Port Royal banks on heritage |last=Davis |first=Nick |work=[[BBC News]] |date=25 July 2012 |access-date=21 June 2018 |archive-date=29 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929110608/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-18601357 |url-status=live }}</ref> It was destroyed by an [[1692 Jamaica earthquake|earthquake on 7 June 1692]] and its accompanying [[tsunami]], leading to the establishment of [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]], the capital and the most populated and prosperous city in Jamaica. Severe hurricanes have regularly damaged the area. Another severe [[1907 Kingston earthquake|earthquake occurred in 1907]].

Port Royal became home port to English and Dutch government sponsored [[privateer]]s who were encouraged to attack [[Habsburg Spain|Spanish]] vessels, at a time when many European nations were reluctant to attack the powerful Spanish fleet directly. As a port city, it was notorious for its gaudy displays of wealth and loose morals, with the privateer crews spending their treasure in the many [[taverns]], gambling houses and brothels which catered for the sailors. When the British and Dutch governments officially abandoned the practice of issuing [[letters of marque]] to privateers against the Spanish treasure fleets and possessions in South America in the later 16th century, many of the crews turned [[pirate]] to allow themselves to maintain their plundering illegally. Port Royal effectively became a pirate republic, and they continued to use the city as their main base during the 17th century. Pirates from around the world congregated at Port Royal, coming from waters as far away as [[Madagascar]]. The town became notorious in folklore as "the wickedest city on Earth".

After the 1692 disaster, Port Royal's commercial role was steadily taken over by the rapidly growing nearby town (and later, city) of Kingston. Plans were developed in 1999 to redevelop the small fishing town as a heritage tourism destination to serve cruise ships. The plan was to capitalize on Port Royal's unique and fascinating heritage, with archaeological findings from pre-colonial and privateering years as the basis of possible attractions.<ref name=BBCKingston/>

==Climate==
Port Royal has a [[tropical savanna climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Aw'') with a short dry season from January to April and a lengthy wet season from May to October. Temperatures remain steady throughout the year with the dry season being slightly cooler and range from {{convert|25.5|C|F|1}} in January to {{convert|27.7|C|F|1}} in May. The average annual precipitation is {{convert|1345|mm|in|0}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=783970&cityname=Port+Royal%2C+Kingston+St.+John%2C+Jamaica&units= |title=Climate Summary for Port Royal |publisher=Weatherbase |access-date=30 March 2019 |archive-date=7 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200707024348/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=783970&cityname=Port+Royal,+Kingston+St.+John,+Jamaica&units= |url-status=live }}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Map_showing_the_harbours_of_Port_Royal_and_Kingston%2C_Jamaica_Wellcome_L0063041.jpg|thumb|375px|Port Royal and [[Kingston Harbour]] (1774). Port Royal is the small town at the tip of the peninsula in the top left quadrant of the map at the bottom center,at the mouth of Port Royal Harbour.]]

The [[Taino people|Taino]] historic indigenous people of the Caribbean occupied this area for centuries before European settlement. They used the area, which they called ''Caguay'' or ''Caguaya'',<ref name=H&H>{{cite book |last1=Higman |first1=B W |title=Jamaican Place Names |year=2009 |publisher=[[University of the West Indies Press]] |location=Kingston, Jamaica |isbn=978-976-640-217-4 |edition=1st |author2=Hudson, B J |page=26 |format=Softcover |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iqYMAQAAMAAJ |access-date=5 January 2016 |archive-date=16 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716093553/https://books.google.com/books?id=iqYMAQAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> during their fishing expeditions. Although it is not known whether they ever settled at the spot, they did inhabit other parts of Jamaica.<ref name="autogenerated1975">Michael Pawson and David Buisseret, ''Port Royal, Jamaica'' (London: [[Oxford University Press]], 1975).</ref>

===Colonisation===
The Spanish first landed in Jamaica in 1494 under the leadership of [[Christopher Columbus]], leading to the destruction of the Taino population. Permanent settlement occurred when [[Juan de Esquivel]] brought a group of settlers in 1509. They came in search of new lands and valuable resources, like gold and silver. Instead they began to cultivate and process the sugar cane. Much like the Taino before them, the Spanish did not appear to have much use for the Port Royal area. They did, however, retain its Taino name.<ref name=H&H /> Spain kept control of Jamaica mostly so that it could prevent other countries from gaining access to the island, which was strategically situated within the [[trade route]]s of the Caribbean. Spain maintained control over the island for 146 years, until the English took control following their invasion of 1655.

The town was captured by England in 1655 during the [[invasion of Jamaica]].<ref name="autogenerated1975"/><ref name="autogenerated2006">Donny L. Hamilton, "Pirates and Merchants: Port Royal, Jamaica," in ''X Marks the Spot: The Archaeology of Piracy,'' ed. Russell K. Skowronek and Charles R. Ewen, pp. 13–30 (Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida, 2006).</ref> By 1659 two hundred houses, shops and warehouses had been built around the fort; by 1692 five forts defended the port.<ref name="HCinternational-2008-09-08"/> The English initially called the place ''Cagway'' but soon renamed it Port Royal.<ref name=H&H /> For much of the period between the English conquest and the 1692 [[earthquake]], Port Royal served as the unofficial capital of Jamaica, while [[Spanish Town]] remained the official capital. In 1872 the government designated [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]], the largest city, as the capital.<ref name="HCinternational-2008-09-08"/>

===Privateering===
[[File:Port Royal Fort defenses.JPG|thumb|275px|Port Royal Fort defences]]
Port Royal provided a [[wikt:safe harbor|safe harbour]] initially for privateers and subsequently for [[pirate]]s plying the [[shipping lanes]] to and from [[Spain]] and [[Panama]]. [[Buccaneer]]s found Port Royal appealing for several reasons. Its proximity to [[trade routes]] allowed them easy access to prey, but the most important advantage was the port's proximity to several of the only safe passages or [[strait]]s giving access to the [[Spanish Main]] from the Atlantic.<ref name="HCinternational-2008-09-08"/> The harbour was large enough to accommodate their ships and the shallow waters provided a place to [[careening|careen]] and repair these vessels with no difficulty. It was also ideally situated for launching raids on Spanish settlements. From Port Royal, [[Christopher Myngs]] [[Sack of Campeche (1663)|sacked Campeche]] and [[Henry Morgan]] attacked Panama, [[Portobelo, Panama|Portobello]], and [[Maracaibo]]. Additionally, buccaneers [[Roche Brasiliano]], [[John Davis (buccaneer)|John Davis]] and [[Edward Mansvelt]] used Port Royal as a base of operations.

In 1657, as a solution to his defence concerns, Governor [[Edward D'Oyley]] invited the [[Brethren of the Coast]] to come to Port Royal and make it their home port. The Brethren was a group of pirates descended from cattle-hunting ''{{Interlanguage link|boucaniers|fr}}'' (later anglicized to buccaneers), who had turned to piracy after being robbed by the Spanish (and subsequently thrown out of Hispaniola).<ref name="autogenerated2006"/> These pirates concentrated their attacks on Spanish shipping, whose interests were considered the major threat to the town.

The English [[privateer]]s were given [[letters of marque]] by Jamaica's governor. Around the same time that pirates were invited to Port Royal, England launched a series of attacks against Spanish shipping vessels and coastal towns. By sending the newly appointed privateers after Spanish ships and settlements, England had successfully set up a system of defence for Port Royal. Spain was forced to continually defend their possessions from attack, providing them with no opportunity and no means with which to attempt to retake the land.<ref name="autogenerated2006"/>

Spain was unable to retake the island and, due to the privateers, could no longer regularly provide their colonies in the New World with manufactured goods. The progressive irregularity of annual Spanish fleets, combined with an increasing demand by colonies for manufactured goods, stimulated the growth of Port Royal. Merchants and privateers worked together in what is now referred to as "forced trade". Merchants would sponsor trading endeavors with the Spanish, while also sponsoring privateers to attack Spanish ships and rob Spanish coastal towns.<ref name="autogenerated2006"/> While the merchants most certainly had the upper hand, the privateers were an integral part of the operation.

[[Nuala Zahedieh]], a lecturer at the [[University of Edinburgh]], wrote: "Both opponents and advocates of so-called 'forced trade' declared the town's fortune had the dubious distinction of being founded entirely on the servicing of the privateers' needs and highly lucrative trade in prize commodities.".<ref name="autogenerated1986">Nuala Zahedieh, "Trade, Plunder, and Economic Development in Early English Jamaica, 1655–89," ''The Economic History Review'' 39, no. 2 (1986): 205–222.</ref> "A report that the 300 men who accompanied [[Henry Morgan]] to Portobello in 1668 returned to the town with a prize to spend of at least £60 each (two or three times the usual annual plantation wage) leaves little doubt that they were right".<ref name="autogenerated1986"/>

The forced trade became almost a way of life in Port Royal. Michael Pawson and David Busseret wrote "...one way or the other nearly all the propertied inhabitants of Port Royal seem to have an interest in privateering."<ref>Michael Pawson and David Buisseret, ''Port Royal, Jamaica'' (Kingston: University of the West Indies Press, 2000).</ref> Forced trade was rapidly making Port Royal one of the wealthiest communities in the English territories of North America, far surpassing any profit made from the production of sugar cane. Zahedieh wrote, "The Portobello raid [in 1668] alone produced plunder worth £75,000, more than seven times the annual value of the island's sugar exports, which at Port Royal prices did not exceed £10,000 at this time."<ref name="autogenerated1986"/>

[[File:Pirate Flag of Stede Bonnet (alternate).svg|thumb|An 18th-century [[pirate]] [[Jolly Roger|flag]] of the style used by [[Stede Bonnet]]]]
Since the English lacked sufficient troops to prevent either the Spanish or French from seizing it, the Jamaican governors eventually turned to the pirates to defend the city.<ref name=breverton>{{cite book |last1=Breverton |first1=Terry |author-link=Terry Breverton |title=Admiral Sir Henry Morgan: "king of the Buccaneers" |date=2005 |publisher=[[Pelican Publishing]] |isbn=1455600148 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bASCpcW00jAC |access-date=5 January 2016 |archive-date=29 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429230128/https://books.google.com/books?id=bASCpcW00jAC |url-status=live }}</ref> By the 1660s, the city had, for some, become a [[pirate utopia]] and had gained a reputation as the "[[Sodom and Gomorrah|Sodom]] of the New World"{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}, where most residents were pirates, cutthroats, or [[prostitute]]s. When [[Charles Leslie (writer)|Charles Leslie]] wrote his history of Jamaica, he included a description of the pirates of Port Royal:
{{blockquote|Wine and women drained their wealth to such a degree that [...] some of them became reduced to beggary. They have been known to spend 2 or 3,000 [[Spanish dollar|pieces of eight]] in one night; and one gave a [[strumpet]] 500 to see her naked. They used to buy a [[butt (volume)|pipe]] of wine, place it in the street, and oblige everyone that passed to drink from it.}}

The taverns of Port Royal were known for their excessive consumption of alcohol such that records even exist of the wild animals of the area partaking in the debauchery. During a passing visit, famous Dutch explorer [[Jan van Riebeeck]] is said to have described the scenes:
{{blockquote|The parrots of Port Royal gather to drink from the large stocks of ale with just as much alacrity as the drunks that frequent the taverns that serve it.}}

Genealogical research indicates that [[Blackbeard]] ([[Edward Teach]]) and his family moved to Jamaica where Edward Thatch Jr. is listed as being a mariner in the [[Royal Navy]] aboard HMS ''Windsor'' in 1706.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brooks |first1=Baylus C. |title=Blackbeard Reconsidered – Mist's Piracy, Thache's Genealogy |date=2015 |publisher=North Carolina Office of Archives and History |isbn=978-0-86526-479-3 |pages=20–22}}</ref> Port Royal benefited from this lively, glamorous infamy and grew to be one of the two largest towns and the most economically important port in the [[British Empire|English colonies]]. At the height of its popularity, the city had one [[drinking house]] for every 10 residents. In July 1661 alone, 40 new licenses were granted to [[taverns]]. During a 20-year period that ended in 1692, nearly 10,000 people lived in Port Royal. In addition to prostitutes and buccaneers, there were four [[goldsmith]]s, 44 tavern keepers, and a variety of [[artisans]] and [[merchants]] who lived in 2,000 buildings crammed into {{convert|51|acre|ha}} of real estate. 213 ships visited the seaport in 1688. The city's wealth was so great that coins were preferred for payment over the more common system of [[barter]]ing goods for services.

Following [[Henry Morgan]]'s appointment as lieutenant governor, Port Royal began to change. Pirates were no longer needed to defend the city. The selling of [[slavery|enslaved people]] took on greater importance. Upstanding citizens disliked the reputation the city had acquired. In 1687, Jamaica passed anti-piracy laws. Consequently, instead of being a safe haven for pirates, Port Royal became noted as their place of [[Execution (legal)|execution]]. Many were executed at Gallows Point, including [[Charles Vane]] and [[John Rackham (pirate)|John Rackham]], who were hanged in 1720. About five months later, the famous woman pirate [[Mary Read]] died in the Jamaican prison in [[Spanish Town]]. Two years later, 41 pirates met their death in one month.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cindyvallar.com/havens4.html |title=Notorious Pirate Havens Part 4: Port Royal |publisher=Pirates and Privateers – The History of Maritime Piracy |author=Cindy Vallar |access-date=20 September 2008 |archive-date=21 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221025807/http://www.cindyvallar.com/havens4.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===The Royal Navy===
[[File:Port Royal Naval Hospital.jpg|thumb|Remains of the Naval Hospital, rebuilt 1818 by [[Edward Holl]] ]]

Under British rule the [[Royal Navy]] made use of a [[careening]] wharf at Port Royal and rented a building on the foreshore to serve as a storehouse. From 1675, a resident Naval Officer was appointed to oversee these facilities;<ref name=rmg>{{cite web |title=Royal Museums Greenwich research guide |url=http://www.rmg.co.uk/researchers/library/research-guides/the-royal-navy/research-guide-b5-royal-naval-dockyards |access-date=4 July 2015 |archive-date=3 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103234627/http://www.rmg.co.uk/researchers/library/research-guides/the-royal-navy/research-guide-b5-royal-naval-dockyards |url-status=dead}}</ref> however, development was cut short by the 1692 earthquake. After the earthquake, an attempt was made to establish a naval base at [[Port Antonio]] instead, but the climate there proved disagreeable. From 1735, Port Royal once more became the focus of the Admiralty's attention. New wharves and storehouses were built at this time, as well as housing for the officers of the Yard. Over the next thirty years, more facilities were added: [[cooperages]], workshops, [[sawpit]]s, and accommodation (including a canteen) for the crews of ships being careened there.<ref name=Coad2013>{{cite book |last1=Coad |first1=Jonathan |title=Support for the Fleet: architecture and engineering of the Royal Navy's bases 1700–1914 |date=2013 |publisher=English Heritage |location=Swindon}}</ref> A [[Royal Naval Hospital]] was also established on land a little to the west of the Naval Yard; and by the end of the 18th century a small [[Victualling Yard]] had been added to the east (prior to this ships had had to go to [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]] and other settlements to take on supplies).<ref name=Coad2013 />

At the start of the 19th century, a significant amount of rebuilding took place in what was by now a substantial [[Royal Navy Dockyard]] serving the fleet in the [[Caribbean]]. A sizeable storehouse with a clocktower formed the centrepiece, with a covered way leading from it to the careening wharves. The adjacent [[Port Admiral]]'s (later Commodore's) House included a [[watch tower]], to counter the threat of [[privateers]]. The Yard continued to expand to meet the new requirements of [[Steam-powered ship|steam-powered vessels]]: the victualling wharf became a [[Coaling station|coaling depot]] in the 1840s, and twenty years later a small engineering complex was built.<ref name=Coad2013 /> The Yard continued to expand through to the beginning of the 20th century, but then (with the Admiralty focusing more and more on the [[Causes of World War I|situation in Europe]]) the Navy withdrew from its station in Jamaica and the Dockyard closed in 1905. (Nevertheless, the Naval Yard and Hospital remained in Admiralty ownership until after the [[Second World War]], with part of the Yard being used by the [[War Department (United Kingdom)|War Department]]).<ref>{{Hansard|1948/dec/08/port-royal-jamaica-land}}</ref>

Many of the Dockyard buildings (most of which were of timber construction) were subsequently demolished or destroyed (some in the [[1907 Kingston earthquake]], others by [[Hurricane Charlie (1951)|Hurricane Charlie]] in 1951).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.jnht.com/site_port_royal.php |title=Jamaica National Heritage Trust - Jamaica - Port Royal |website=Jnht.com |access-date=10 November 2021 |archive-date=12 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112194213/http://www.jnht.com/site_port_royal.php |url-status=live }}</ref> A few remain in place, however, including the Naval Hospital complex, some of the steam engineering buildings and a set of officers' houses.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.jnht.com/site_admiralty_houses.php |title=Jamaica National Heritage Trust - Jamaica - Admiralty Houses |website=Jnht.com |access-date=10 November 2021 |archive-date=12 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112194430/http://www.jnht.com/site_admiralty_houses.php |url-status=live }}</ref> There is also a slipway, completed in 1904, which (with its accompanying sheds) was designed for housing and launching [[torpedo boats]], stationed there for the Yard's protection. In 2014, it was announced that some of the Historic Naval Hospital buildings would be restored to house a museum as part of a broader Port Royal Heritage Tourism Project.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://jis.gov.jm/old-naval-hospital-rehabilitated/ |title=Old Naval Hospital to be Rehabilitated – Jamaica Information Service |website=Jis.gov.jm |access-date=10 November 2021 |archive-date=10 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110204735/https://jis.gov.jm/old-naval-hospital-rehabilitated/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Earthquake of 1692===
{{main|1692 Jamaica earthquake}}
[[File:Port Royal.JPG|thumb|325px|Old map of Port Royal. Light section at top and going down toward the right is the part of the city lost in the 1692 earthquake; slightly shaded middle section, the part of the city that was flooded; darkly shaded bottom section is the part of the city that survived.]]
[[File:PortRoyalEarthquakeMap.jpg|thumb|325px|Shoreline changes in the Port Royal earthquake]]

The town grew rapidly, reaching a population of around 6,500 people and approximately 2,000 dwellings, by 1692. As land on which to build diminished, it became common practice to either fill in areas of water and build new infrastructure on top of it, or simply build buildings taller. Buildings gradually became heavier as the residents adopted the brick-style homes of their native England. Some{{who|date=May 2015}} urged the population to adopt the low, wooden building style of the previous Spanish inhabitants, but many refused. In the end, all of these separate factors contributed to the impending disaster.
[[File:Hakewill, A Picturesque Tour of the Island of Jamaica, Plate 03.jpg|thumb|267px|Ships at Port Royal {{Circa|1820}}]]
[[File:Aerial view of Port Royal Jamaica.JPG|thumb|267px|The fortress]]

On 7 June 1692, a devastating earthquake hit the city causing most of its northern section to be lost, and with it many of the town's houses and other buildings. Many of the forts were destroyed, as well. [[Fort Charles (Jamaica)|Fort Charles]] survived, but Forts James and Carlisle sank into the sea, Fort Rupert became a large region of water, and great damage was done to an area known as Morgan's Line.

Although the earthquake hit the entire island of Jamaica, the citizens of Port Royal were at a greater risk of death due to the perilous sand, falling buildings, and the [[tsunami]] that followed. Though the local authorities tried to remove or sink all of the corpses from the water, they were unsuccessful; some simply got away from them, while others were trapped in places that were inaccessible. Improper housing, a lack of medicine or clean water, and the fact that most of the survivors were homeless led to many people dying of malignant fevers.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Pawson, Michael |author2=Buisseret, David |title=Port Royal, Jamaica |location=London |publisher=Oxford University Press |date=1975}}</ref> The earthquake and tsunami killed between 1,000 and 3,000 people combined, nearly half the city's population.{{citation needed|date=February 2010}} Disease ran rampant in the next several months, killing an estimated 2,000 additional people.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://jamaicaportroyal.com/eyewitness.html |title=Eye Witness Account of the 1692 Port Royal Earthquake |website=Jamaicaportroyal.com |access-date=10 November 2021 |archive-date=1 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901025547/https://jamaicaportroyal.com/eyewitness.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The historical Jamaica earthquake of 7 June 1692 can be dated closely not only by date, but by time of day as well. This is documented by recovery from the sea floor in the 1960s of a pocket watch stopped at 11:43&nbsp;a.m., recording the time of the devastating earthquake.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/world/events/1692_06_07.php |website=Earthquake.usgs.gov |title=Historic Earthquakes |access-date=9 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420104214/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/world/events/1692_06_07.php |archive-date=20 April 2008 |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=History Channel |title=Ancient Almanac}}</ref>

The earthquake caused the sand under Port Royal to [[soil liquefaction|liquefy]] and flow out into Kingston Harbour. The water table was generally only two feet down before the impact, and the town was built on a layer of some {{convert|65|ft|abbr=out}} of water-saturated sand. This type of area did not provide a solid foundation on which to build an entire town. Unlike the Spanish before them, the English had decided to settle and develop the small area of land, even while acknowledging that the area was nothing but "hot loose sand".<ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite journal |author=Mulcahy, Matthew |title=The Port Royal Earthquake and the World of Wonders in Seventeenth-Century Jamaica |journal=Early American Studies |volume=6 |number=2 |date=2008 |pages=391–422 |doi=10.1353/eam.0.0009 |s2cid=143938077}}</ref>

According to Mulcahy, "[Modern] scientists and underwater archaeologists now believe that the earthquake was a powerful one and that much of the damage at Port Royal resulted from a process known as liquefaction."<ref name="autogenerated3"/> Liquefaction occurs when earthquakes strike ground that is loose, sandy, and water-saturated, increasing the water pressure and causing the particles to separate from one another and form a sludge resembling quicksand. Eyewitness accounts attested to buildings sliding into the water, but it is likely{{Clarify|date=February 2012}} some simply sank straight down into the now unstable layer.<ref name="autogenerated3"/>

Underwater archaeology, some of which can be seen in the [[National Geographic (U.S. TV channel)|National Geographic Channel]] show ''Wicked Pirate City'', reveals the foundations of building underwater, showing there was subsidence, as do comparisons of post-earthquake maps and pre-earthquake maps.

Some attempts were made to rebuild the city, starting with the one third that was not submerged, but these met with mixed success and numerous disasters.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} An initial attempt at rebuilding was again destroyed in 1703 by fire. Subsequent rebuilding was hampered by several [[hurricane]]s in the first half of the 18th century, including [[Storm surge|flooding from the sea]] in 1722, a further fire in 1750, and a major hurricane in 1774, and soon Kingston eclipsed Port Royal in importance. In 1815, what repairs were being undertaken were destroyed in another major fire, while the whole island was severely affected by an epidemic of [[cholera]] in 1850.{{Clarify|date=April 2009}}

===1907 earthquake and recent history===
[[File:Giddy House close up.jpg|thumb|[[Giddy House]]]]

An earthquake on 14 January 1907 liquefied the sand spit, destroying nearly all of the rebuilt city, submerging additional portions, and tilting The [[Giddy House]], an artillery storage room built c. 1880 that is today a minor tourist attraction.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.amusingplanet.com/2017/07/the-giddy-house-port-royal-jamaica.html |title=The Giddy House, Port Royal, Jamaica |website=Amusingplanet.com |access-date=10 November 2021 |archive-date=10 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110204725/https://www.amusingplanet.com/2017/07/the-giddy-house-port-royal-jamaica.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The area is a shadow of its former self with a population of fewer than 2,000 that has little to no commercial or political importance. It is frequented by tourists, but is in a state of disrepair. The Jamaican government has resolved to further develop the area for its historic and tourist value. This is in part a result of abandonment of plans begun in the early 1960s to develop the town as a cruise ship port and destination.<ref name="cerruti67">{{Cite journal |last=Cerruti |first=James |year=1967 |title=Jamaica Goes It Alone |journal=National Geographic |volume=132 |pages=843–873}}</ref> The plans stimulated the archaeological explorations on the site which, in turn, led to the suspension of development solely as a port but now included archaeological and other attractions.<ref name="HCinternational-2008-09-08">{{cite serial |title=Sin City Jamaica |airdate=1998-12-26 |network=History Channel}}</ref>

In 1981, the Nautical Archaeology Program at [[Texas A&M University]] began a 10-year underwater archaeological investigation of the portion of Port Royal that sank underwater during the 17th century. The program focused on an area that had sunk directly into the sea and suffered very little damage. Due to very low oxygen levels, a large amount of organic material could be recovered. The efforts made by the program have allowed everyday life in the English colonial port city to be reconstructed in great detail.<ref>Donny L. Hamilton, "[http://nautarch.tamu.edu/portroyal/PRhist.htm The Port Royal Project: History of Port Royal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308235341/http://nautarch.tamu.edu/portroyal/PRhist.htm |date=8 March 2012 }}," Nautical Archaeology Program, 1 June 2001. Retrieved 20 March 2009.</ref>

In 1998, the Port Royal Development Company commissioned [[architectural firm]] [[Jon Jerde|The Jerde Partnership]] to create a master plan for the redevelopment of Port Royal, which was completed in 2000.<ref name=Hamilton-2006/> The focus of the plan is a 17th-century-themed attraction that reflects the city's heritage. It has two anchor areas: Old Port Royal and the King's Royal Naval Dockyard. Old Port Royal features a cruise ship pier extending from a reconstructed Chocolata Hole harbour and Fisher's Row, a group of cafes and shops on the waterfront. The King's Royal Naval Dockyard features a combination [[shipbuilding]]-museum and underwater aquarium with [[diorama]]s for views of the native tropical sealife.<ref name=Hamilton-2006>{{cite journal |url=http://www.international.icomos.org/risk/2006/17hamilton2006an.pdf |title=Port Royal, Jamaica: Archaeological Past and Development Potential |last=Hamilton |first=Donny L. |journal=Underwater Cultural Heritage at Risk |publisher=International Council on Monuments and Sites |pages=49–52 |date=April 2006 |access-date=20 September 2008 |archive-date=31 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081031044325/http://www.international.icomos.org/risk/2006/17hamilton2006an.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The Royal Naval Dockyard also includes the headquarters for the [[Admiral (United Kingdom)|Admiral]] of the [[Royal Navy]]. The redevelopment plan also includes a [[Hotel stars|five-star hotel]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jerde.com/projects/project.php?id=126 |title=Port Royal Heritage Master Plan |date=1 January 2000 |publisher=The Jerde Partnership |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004122251/http://www.jerde.com/projects/project.php?id=126 |archive-date=4 October 2008 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Today, Port Royal is known to post-medieval archaeologists as the "City That Sank".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/travel/story.html?id=d4d4e655-c2f2-4545-a988-8a961027b167 |title=Talk tells story of Jamaican 'underwater city' |author=Nancy Lanthier |date=24 March 2007 |work=[[Vancouver Sun]] |access-date=20 August 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070518193214/http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/travel/story.html?id=d4d4e655-c2f2-4545-a988-8a961027b167 |archive-date=18 May 2007 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

By 2019, a floating pier where a cruise ship could dock had been built; the first ship arrived on 20 January 2020. Tourists from a few ships (after the effects of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] have ended) might be beneficial to the town, but "there's still much work to be done if the town will become the 'world-class heritage, environmental and cultural attraction{{'"}} according to a [[BBC]] Travel report published in September 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20200921-jamaicas-port-royal-the-wickedest-city-on-earth |title=Jamaica's Port Royal: The wickedest city on Earth? |first=James |last=March |website=Bbc.com |access-date=10 November 2021 |archive-date=10 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110204725/https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20200921-jamaicas-port-royal-the-wickedest-city-on-earth |url-status=live }}</ref> Another report that month discussed the well-funded Living Heritage Programme, which was seeking "to transform the town into a SMART, safe and secure community with a vibrant local economy, preserved cultural heritage and protected natural environment".<ref>[https://www.loopjamaica.com/content/port-royal-gets-idb-support Port Royal gets IDB support]{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Loopjamaica.com</ref>

In 2025, Port Royal was designated as a [[World Heritage Site]] by [[UNESCO]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 13, 2025 |title=Port Royal, Jamaica, now a UNESCO World Heritage List |url=https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/news/port-royal-jamaica-now-a-unesco-world-heritage-list/ |work=Caribbean National Weekly}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Port Royal}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.360globe.net/jamaica/kingston/port-royal.html |title=360° Virtual Tour |website=VirtualTravelGlobe.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313173636/http://www.360globe.net/jamaica/kingston/port-royal.html |archive-date=13 March 2012}}
* {{cite web |website=ShawnBrown.com |author=Brown, Shawn (Cartographer) |url=http://www.shawnbrown.com/maps/port_royal.html |title=Map: Old Port Royal |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070214144251/http://shawnbrown.com/maps/port_royal.html |archive-date=14 February 2007 |df=mdy-all}} (artistic interpretation of the city before the 1692 earthquake)
* {{cite web |author=Hamilton, Dr. Donny L. (Principal Investigator) |website=Nautarch.tamu.edu |url=http://nautarch.tamu.edu/portroyal/ |title=The Port Royal Project |access-date=12 March 2005 |archive-date=27 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427023032/http://nautarch.tamu.edu/portroyal/ |url-status=dead }} (historical and archaeological research)
* {{cite web |publisher=Vermilion Ohio News |website=Great Lakes Pirate Fest |url=http://piratefest.homestead.com/PortRoyal.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210203037/http://piratefest.homestead.com/PortRoyal.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2015-12-10 |title=Notorious Pirate Havens, Part 4: Port Royal}}
* {{cite web |author=Vallar, Cindy |website=Pirates and Privateers: The History of Maritime Piracy |url=http://www.cindyvallar.com/havens4.html |title=Piracy in Port Royal}}
* {{cite web |website=Cracked.com |url=http://www.cracked.com/article_19226_the-5-most-extravagant-ways-cities-have-been-wiped-out.html |title=The 5 Most Extravagant Ways Cities Have Been Wiped Out |author=Yosomono, Eric |date=2 June 2011}}
* {{cite web |website=Cracked.com |url=http://www.cracked.com/article_19482_6-absurd-pirate-myths-everyone-believes-thanks-to-movies_p2.html |title=Absurd Pirate Myths Everyone Believes (Thanks to Movies) |author1=Yosomono, Eric |author2=Miller, Drew |date=21 October 2011 |page=2}}

{{Settlements in Jamaica}}
{{National Heritage Sites in Jamaica}}
{{Pirates}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Port Royal| ]]
[[Category:Destroyed populated places]]
[[Category:Populated places destroyed by earthquakes]]
[[Category:Submerged places]]
[[Category:1518 establishments in the Spanish Empire]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1518]]
[[Category:1692 disestablishments]]
[[Category:Pirate dens and locations]]
[[Category:Neighbourhoods in Kingston, Jamaica]]
[[Category:Privateering]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Kingston, Jamaica]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Kingston, Jamaica]]
[[Category:Piracy in the Caribbean]]
[[Category:Maritime folklore]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Jamaica]]