An earthquake destroyed much of Port Royal, Jamaica, in 1692.
The 1692 Jamaica earthquake struck on 7 June. Severe shaking caused sections of Port Royal to slide into Kingston Harbour, while a tsunami and later fires added to the destruction. About two-thirds of the town disappeared beneath the water or became unusable.
Before the disaster, Port Royal had been an important English Caribbean port. It served merchants, privateers, sailors, and pirates because of its position near major shipping routes. Its reputation for gambling, taverns, and illicit trade helped give it a notorious image.
The earthquake did not instantly end all maritime activity in Jamaica, but Kingston gradually became the island’s principal commercial centre. Modern underwater archaeology continues to examine the remains of submerged Port Royal, making the site an important source for studying seventeenth-century Caribbean life.