Bermuda's colonial history and maritime development

Travel – Bermuda History Bermuda is an archipelago found in the North Atlantic Ocean. The archipelago consists of 7 main islands plus another 170 rocks and islets. Bermuda self-governs as British territory and it is not associated in any way with the West Indies. Bermuda lies about 650 miles to the East of Cape Hatteras while the West Indies lies about 800 miles to the South of Bermuda. The archipelago has a length of about 24 miles with an average width of about 1 mile. Its main islands are generally close together and are connected using bridges with the biggest island being called Main Island (Heaton & Rushe, 2017).
The first settlers in Bermuda came in 1609. This was when a British ship, Sea Venture, that was transporting goods to Jamestown, Virginia wrecked on the shores of the island. George Somers who was the fleet’s senior officer oversaw the building of new vessels on the island. He continued the journey with the sailors to Virginia but made plans to return to the island because they were spellbound by how beautiful it was. The British began colonizing the island in 1612 when sixty people, under the leadership of Richard Moore, came to the island. Moore was installed as the first governor of the island. A charter was later issued in 1616 by the king for the formation of the Somers Isles Company. By the year 1620, the colonial legislature was holding meetings at the parliamentary Sessions House. With time, the land was subdivided into parishes that were named after the majority shareholders of the Virginia Company. The company’s rule over Bermuda resembled that of a fiefdom and the people soon found the conditions of the rule oppressive. In 1684, leaders of the island brought suit as they wanted the charter to be rescinded. The exercise was a success and Bermuda was then ruled in a way similar to how English colonies in America were being ruled (Advameg, 2019).
The first slaves to be brought to Bermuda arrived in the early 17th century. Most of the slaves worked as domestic workers and laborers. They lived under brutal slavery treatment and when they revolted, the brutal treatment was often escalated. At around the same time, Bermuda started getting involved in the shipping industry. It was a successful business, especially due to the fact that Bermuda had a reputation for great cedar. Bermudians built the Bermuda schooners and sloops that earned them a great reputation in the industry internationally. The ships were very good at sailing windward and upwind and this ensured that they were always in high demand as they could ship goods faster than the competition. The ships had crews from Bermuda with most of the crew being slaves. The ships had vast reach and traded with several ports in the Caribbean, North America, and the Atlantic. During the wars of the time, the ships captured American, French, Dutch, and Spanish ships, depending on the war opposition at the time, and brought their captives to Bermuda’s Admirably Prize Court to get prize money. They did this with the authority of the king as they were often armed with Warrants and Letters of Marque issued by the crown. Throughout its history, Bermuda has been popular for private enterprise. It rose in popularity in the 17th century for its shipbuilding industry as well as its manning center where ships sailed to trade with North American and the Caribbean islands. It was also a post for the slave trade. Further, the island was a post for the trading of oranges, rum, and salt (Advameg, 2019).
In 1815, Hamilton became the capital of Bermuda. Before then, the capital was Saint Georges but Hamilton grew to be one of the busiest ports in the world at the time, hence the switch. With time, the shipping industry declined and new industries had to be created for Bermudians to earn a living. Organized farming began to grow significantly. During World War I, one half of Bermuda’s contingent perished. This population decline brought many industries to their knees. The war led to a reduction in capital available to renovate hotels or build new ships to bring tourists. The economic prospects were bleak until the English company Furness Steamship Company chose Bermuda to be their vacation ships’ destination. In the 1920s, Bermuda rose in prominence as a tourism destination as it became a preferred destination for Americans of wealth. The tourism industry would see the island sail through the Great Depression successfully (Advameg, 2019).
As World War II started and Britain was looking for a strong ally to come to her aid, Winston Churchill offered Bermuda to the US Congress and President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a way of persuading them to support Britain. About 10 percent of Bermuda was leased to the United States for 90 years. This action led to the displacement of several Bermudians from their lands. Bermuda served as an Allied operations center. The United States constructed military and naval bases in Bermuda to guard against Submarines belonging to Germans while the British Royal Navy utilized the island for the patrol operations of the Atlantic. The islands served as vital transit points for Allies during the war. Winston Churchill, Harold Macmillan, and Dwight D. Eisenhower all attended summits that were organized in Bermuda (Advameg, 2019).
In the 1960s, there were heightened racial tensions as black people protested unfair treatment. There was an increase of grassroots movements that sought to ensure blacks were more integrated into the Bermudian society. A race riot broke out in 1968 as people perceived that only white people were being allowed into a fair. In two separate instances, troops were invited from Britain but they were fortunately never used on the ground. In 1973, Sir Richard Sharples, the governor, was assassinated at the Government House. Two of the people who were involved in the assassination were found and were prosecuted by Scotland Yard. When the two men were hanged, further riots broke out among blacks. While there were no major injuries, there was significant damage to a few businesses. A portion of the black population began calling for complete independence from the Crown so that the racial discrimination they faced could end. With the continued political push for independence, the government began discussing independence in 1977. Interestingly, in 1995, when independence was put to a vote, Bermudians rejected full independence proposal by a two-thirds majority. The rejection was mainly because of the fear that independence could lead to the same kind of poverty Bermudians had seen Jamaica and Bahamas fall into after they gained independence. They also did not want to weaken the confidence that foreign companies had in Bermuda. Bermuda, therefore, remains a British territory (Advameg, 2019). People of Bermuda The total population of Bermuda stands at about 65,000 people. In 1609, when the first group of British sailors landed on its shores, there was practically no human soul on the islands. George Somers and his men did find some pigs on the island, however. These pigs would be popularly known as Bermuda Hogs (Bhattacharya, 2015). The people of Bermuda subscribe to rather conservative cultures. It is a collection of cultures that operate under frameworks mainly devised by British laws. Working to blend and unite the different cultures of Bermuda is a good idea for ensuring general unity and stability. Bermuda has no indigenous people. While the island had had several temporary settlers over the centuries, there was nobody on the island when the British docked. Black people were brought on the island to serve mainly as slaves. Slaves were mostly of African descent or African. Other slaves were Native Americans and they had been brought from the Carib Islands (Bermuda, 2019).
Bermuda is one of the most densely populated places in the world. It ranks third behind Singapore and Monaco in population density. In terms of size, it is the world’s fifth smallest country. The 2010 census reported that the islands’ population totaled 64,237. A 2012 population projection puts the island’s civilian population at an estimated 64,367 people. Factoring in the islands’ size, the population density of the country is 1,194 per sq km. Almost all adults in Bermuda got basic education with literacy for adults being 99%. Most of the people are Roman Catholics, African Methodist Episcopalians, and Anglican. The islands have more than 400 religious centers and churches. According to the 2010 census, the population breaks down as follows: blacks- 55%; whites – 31%; and other races – 14% (Bhattacharya, 2018).
The local Bermudian dialect is very colorful and may be indecipherable to a foreign ear in certain cases. As is in any other geographical region, there are certain phrases that are unique to the island. Bermudians also love a good dish. The culinary options have many outside influences as the island has interacted with many cultures over the years through tourism or through the shipping industry. A number of the recipes are of total Bermudian origin and have been passed down from one generation to the next. Favorite dishes include sweet potatoes and pan-fried fish, potatoes and codfish served with egg or tomato sauce. Other favorites include black rum and fish chowder and sherry peppers, broiled lobster with melted butter and lemon. The meals may be accompanied by a fruit punch, tea, or a local libation. Bermudians also love to express themselves artistically. Artistic expression plays a very big role in the lives of Bermudians. There are musicians, dancers, writers, and other artists who enjoy both local and international acclaim. Local art creations are showcased in theatres, galleries, and art stores regularly (Bermuda, 2019). Religious Roots and Beliefs Most Bermudians are of the Christian faith. The strongest church is the Anglican Church (23%). Other popular churches include the Roman Catholic Church (15%), African Methodist Episcopal (11%), the Seventh Day Adventist (7%), and various other denominations such as Jehova’s Witnesses, Canadian and Scottish Presbyterianism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christian Science, Baptist, and the Methodist Church. Over the last few decades, there have been shifts from the old established religious sects towards newer charismatic outfits that are mostly considered evangelical churches. Congregations are heavily involved in their communities and take part in various organized social programs. Because of their big involvement in the community, religious leaders have a lot of influence as unofficial guides and leaders of the culture. Tourists visiting the island can gain access to many of the churches. If one wishes to attend a service, the Saturday newspaper lists the church services that will be going on over the weekend (Spain Exchange, 2019).
The Church of England has been very dominant on the island since the British colonized it. In fact, Bermuda is divided into 19 parishes with the divisions dating back to 1618 when the law required that each parish have an Anglican church. The divisions created for the parishes are still in existence today and are mainly for administrative purposes than they are for religious use. The law in Bermuda guarantees religious tolerance. People are required by law to accommodate each other notwithstanding their religious inclinations. Catholics on the island number in the 10,000. Many of the Catholics came from the Portuguese Azores. A great number of the population subscribe to the protestant sect with roots from churches that were established by slaves. One of the major protestant churches is the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The church was started by African Americans in 1816 and was introduced on the island in 1970. The Methodist church enjoys a 7000-membership population on the island. While they are present on the island, the least prevalent denominations on the island are Rastafarians, Muslims, Jehova Witnesses, and Jews (Frommer Media, 2019). Economy Unemployment rates in Bermuda are generally low. Almost everybody of working age is engaged in some paying work of some sort. 15 percent of the Bermudian population is made up of expatriates who are working on temporary permits. These people are allowed to work once the employer gives sufficient reason to the Bermudian government that there is no Bermudian resident who can fill the said position. Expats work in various capacities, including dishwashers to very highly skilled professions. The role ex-pats play in Bermuda is big and they contribute significantly to the economy of the islands. The Bermudian workforce is mainly composed of people doing professional or administrative services and work. 2 percent of the population is engaged in fishing and agriculture. Famers farm citrus fruits, dairy products, flowers, vegetables, and bananas. Nonetheless, agriculture only accounts for 6% of arable land utilization in Bermuda (Advameg, 2019).
International business in Bermuda, which is made up mainly of financial services and insurance, now make a big portion of the economy of Bermuda. This industry now accounts for about 85% of Bermuda’s GDP. Tourism as an industry comes in second at 5% of GDP but it employs more people than the financial services sector employs. Most of the tourists visiting Bermuda visit from the United States. The sector, therefore, struggles whenever the United States experiences an economic downturn as was the case between 2008 and 2009. Indeed, even the financial services sector is heavily affected by US economic cycles. As a result of the financial downturn in 2008, the sector has bled up to 5000 expatriate jobs to date. The loss of these jobs can be felt in other sectors such as retail as the total spending power of the population reduces. Bermuda imports most of its consumptive goods. Since the islands are small and agriculture cannot be practiced on a scale large enough to produce sufficient food, the islands also import food. In 2016, Bermuda recorded very little GDP growth and actually reported a 0.1% contraction. The unemployment rate between 2016 and 2017 was 7% and the public debt grew to pass $2.4 billion. The government is working to attract more foreign direct investment. Even with these conditions, the per capita income in Bermuda is one of the world’s highest (Theodora, 2019). Government Bermuda is a parliamentary democracy. It is the same system adopted by the governments of New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada. A parliamentary democracy relies on there being an organized political party system where each party spells out its policies to the electorate during a general election. The Bermudian government is composed of: