Port Royal Sinks: Earthquake Destroys Pirate Capital
A massive earthquake struck Port Royal, Jamaica, at 11:43 AM on June 7, 1692, liquefying the sand on which the city was built. Two-thirds of the town slid into the Caribbean Sea within minutes. An estimated 1,600 to 3,000 people died immediately, with an additional 3,000 dying from injuries and disease in the aftermath. Port Royal had been the wealthiest city in the Caribbean, home to pirates like Henry Morgan who spent their plunder in its notorious taverns and brothels. Contemporary accounts describe buildings sinking into the ground while people were swallowed by cracks that opened and closed, crushing them. The earthquake was widely interpreted as divine punishment for the city's wickedness. Submerged portions of Port Royal remain one of the most important underwater archaeological sites in the Western Hemisphere.
June 7, 1692
334 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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