Disaster and Disorder: Local Authorities and the Port Royal Earthquake, Jamaica (1692- 1722)

Abstract

This paper analyses the long consequences of the 1692 Port Royal earthquake, from a disorder perspective. Destructive events of such magnitude are usually associated with situations of enormous chaos that alter the daily life of a society, disturbing a pre-existing order. On June 7 of that year, after one of the most devastating earthquakes in Caribbean history, local authorities in English Jamaica had to face a series of threats that challenged the existing political, social and economic order. It was through the implementation of a set of policies and strategies how they tried to reduce its dangerous effects, in the short and long term. These included the most immediate state of anarchy, the outbreak of a slave rebellion, a foreign attack or unhealthy conditions. It was not until 1722 when Port Royal definitively lost its status as the predominant city and port of the island, to the benefit of Kingston. That year marks the end of this research. By analysing a variety of sources, the aim is to identify how the local authorities perceived the disorder caused by the earthquake and what measures they implemented to defend their interests and social position.