Fort Charles

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Fort Charles was built between 1650 and 1660, the first fort constructed in Port Royal, Jamaica.HistoryThe fort was originally called Fort Cromwell but subsequently renamed.In 1667 it had 36 guns while in 1765 it had 104 guns and a garrison of 500 men.It was damaged by both the 1692 Jamaica earthquake and the 1907 Kingston earthquake which later resulted in the tilting of the Giddy House, now a minor tourist attraction.LocationFort Charles is located in the small town of Port Royal, Jamaica. The town was founded on a natural harbor in which Fort Charles stands at the entrance to. According to Donny L. Hamilton, the fort was situated at the tip of the sand spit separating the Kingston Harbor for the Caribbean. The fort is almost completely surrounded by water.HistoryFort Charles was built in 1655. In 1654, Jamaica was under Spanish control and Spain was at war with England. Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, sent an expedition to invade the Spanish island Hispaniola. When the expedition failed, its leaders did not want to return home in shame. They turned their attention to capturing Jamaica, which was poorly defended. The buccaneer Henry Morgan was a member of the invading force led by Penn and Venables. By May 1655, the English gained control of the island, and began construction of Fort Cromwell to defend their new acquisition.

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