The history of Bermuda describes the discovery and colonial history of the Bermudian Islands. Bermuda, the booming British territory, is indeed a serene escape in the lap of nature. The location of Bermuda is 1770 kilometers away from the city of Miami in Florida. Halifax, the biggest provincial capital of Atlantic Canada, stands 1350 kilometers away from the Islands of Bermuda. Due to its tranquil location and endless natural treasure, Bermuda has always been a favored destination among European travelers.
Discovery of Bermuda
Bermuda, one of the most remote islands in the world, was found 400 years ago. Bermuda discovery is a significant incident in the history of the world, which took place in the year 1503. The credit for the Bermuda discovery goes to Juan de Bermudez, who was a Spanish navigator.
The Bermudian territory was explored long back in the 1500s. Though the exact time of exploration is not known, Bermudian History reveals that it was around 1503 that the Islands of Bermuda first came into prominence. It was in the year 1511 that the name “Bermuda” was released for the first time in the official publication of Peter Martyr d’Anghiera called Legatio Babylonica.
The Bermuda Islands used to meet the replenishment needs of the Portuguese and Spanish sailors on their ocean trips. There was hardly any permanent resident in the Bermuda Islands immediately after its discovery. It is mostly after the British invasion that the number of permanent residents started to grow in the Bermudian territory.
The history of Bermuda discovery states that Bermuda was earlier known as the naval station of winter, both for the British in North Atlantic and also for the armed forces of the West Indians.
In the following decades, Bermuda struggled to develop a feasible economy. James I in 1615 granted a charter to a new company which was the Somers Isles Company. The company got dissolved in 1684. After the Bermuda discovery slaves and laborers were imported from Portugal. Some Virginians also migrated from the United States after the Civil war was ended.
The islands of Bermuda were used as naval and air bases. The group of islands of Bermuda comprises about 150 small islands. Of all the islands, Bermuda island, Ireland, and St George’s are the most important ones which fall under the important sites as well as the discovery of Bermuda. Hamilton is the capital of Bermuda and it also stands as the chief town and port of Bermuda.
Colonial History of Bermuda
The colonial history of Bermuda was dated back to the period when Bermuda was divided into nine administrative areas, each of equal size. These 9 administrative zones were further divided into one public territory and eight tribal territories.
The only crop of the colony was tobacco as is stated in the history of Bermuda. Agriculture was not a profitable business for the people of Bermuda at that time.
The free West Indians were the first among the blacks to come. An attempt was made by the local government to legalize the migration of free blacks. The Bermuda colonial history also tells us that in the early period of the nineteenth-century salt and cedars were the only factors of dependence for the people of Bermuda.
The people of Bermuda excelled as shipwrights which is an eye-catching point of Bermuda history. Salts were carried to Newfoundland to serve the industry of fishing during the period noted as the colonial history of Bermuda. The Bermudians became famous in the vegetable business and emerged as an attraction for tourists, which is really an eye-catching point in Bermuda’s colonial history.
By the end of the seventeenth century, the majority of the population comprised Whites. The Native Americans and the Blacks were the minorities combined with the people of Ireland and Scotland. The people of Bermuda became famous in the business of vegetables which is also a significant incident in Bermuda’s colonial history.