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The town is heavily fortified as is the island because of Richard Moore, the founder of St. George and Bermuda’s first Governor. His main priority was the defense of the island and forts were soon erected on Paget Island to the north of the channel leading into St. George’s Harbor. From 1612 to 1956, the Bermudian’s vigorously defended their island from invaders. |
Bermuda also played an important role in the American Civil War. Its strategic location to the east of the Southern states of the US meant that ‘runners’ from the Confederacy as well as free blacks were commonly found around the harbor and the city’s many taverns. Swift blockade runners brought England-bound cotton to port, and returned armed with supplies and ammunition to Confederate ports in the United States. The influx of Africans brought here in servitude was emancipated in 1834 and today their descendents make up a majority of the population.
The erratic direction of the town’s streets as well as the haphazard pattern of the land grants awarded in 1693 had a colorful effect on the city’s geography. Stately mansions can be found alongside colorful cottages, many of which have been standing for hundreds of years without any major renovations, lending an authentic air to Bermudian life.
