It is time to draw to a close our series on Port Royal, beginning with the return of Henry Morgan to Jamaica with a mission to end piracy. Though of course he instead decided to find a way to turn a (slightly corrupt) profit.

But while the merchants of the were making ever greater profits and building ever more houses on the tiny spit of land that constituted Port Royal, deep below the surface of Jamaica there were seismic movements that would eventually bring the entire enterprise tumbling down.

The earthquake of 1692 was massive, and would have been destructive to buildings that were well constructed with strong foundations. The buildings in Port Royal were built directly onto sand that sat only a few feet above the water table...

.... it did not end well.

Guest Host: Emma Heathcote

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