Kingston Harbor

Kingston Harbor is a big part of Jamaica’s history and culture. It is known as the seventh largest natural harbor in the world and it is deep enough for large ships to dock close to the shore. This is part of the reason why the harbor is also home to one of the wealthiest ports, Port Royal. Port Royal was the main place of trade for the Carribean Islands, selling rum, slaves, and other valuables. With the Kingston harbor's deep waters it was easy to unload imports and exports from other countries. This trade is what made Jamaica so diverse in its ecosystem and vegetation. In the 17th century, Port Royal was taken over by Captain Henry Morgan to serve as a home base for pirates attacking the Spanish crown. This is what made the harbor and its port one of the wealthiest places in Jamaica, which brought in more people. At the time 8,000 people were living on the port in Kingston Harbor. But then Jamaican landowners and the British realized that there was a benefit in trading with Spain rather than attacking it. So they appointed Morgan as governor of Jamaica, where he was told to arrest his once colleagues and stop them from plundering. In 1720 the body of Calico Jack was hung at the mouth of the harbor to warn off pirates from entering. In 1692 an earthquake hit Jamaica and Port Royal in all its glory sank into the depths of the harbor. Today Kingston Harbor is a peaceful body of water with a diverse and luscious wildlife bordering it.