【History Talk】The capital of the golden age of Paride ~ Port Royal

I believe many of you have seen the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series starring Johnny Depp. The lawless and pirate-infested harbor frequently depicted in the movies actually existed in history. It was located in what is now Jamaica, known as Royal Port or Port Royal at the time. It was once the "legal base" for pirates, ranked as the fifth among the world's top ten treasures. However, it can no longer be found on the Earth's surface today, disappearing into the sea due to a natural disaster. Today, I will talk about this infamous city - Port Royal.

When the Spanish arrived in Jamaica in the 1500s, they found it to be an excellent place for cleaning and refitting ships. However, at that time, only a few wooden warehouses were built.

Fast forward to 1655, when the British seized Jamaica from the Spanish, officially occupying the island. Recognizing the strategic importance of the island in defending against Spanish threats and preventing French invasion, the British began fortifying the area. Within two years, they completed the construction of Cromwell's Castle, later renamed Charles Fort. Construction continued for the next twenty years until six well-equipped fortresses were established. As a result, Port Royal had better defenses during its prosperous period than any contemporary Spanish city, such as Cartagena, Havana, Veracruz, or Porto Bello.