History

Bermuda was first called the Isle of Devils, likely because of the stormy weather and unfamiliar bird song the original explorers heard. Juan de Bermúdez, an explorer from Spain, found Bermuda in 1503. During this time, the island was never inhabited, but rather used for a place to get fresh water for passing ships, mostly Spanish and Portuguese. Around 1609, though, a British boat was separated from the rest that were on their way to Jamestown, Virginia, and was wrecked off the coast of Bermuda. This disaster forced the survivors to live on the islands - Bermuda's first semi-permanent inhabitants. St. George, the capital of Bermuda, was settled in 1612. The official name for Bermuda is the Somers Isles, which was acquired due to the Somer Isles Company, a group that ran the island for it's convenient location in shipping materials, until 1684.

Merchants and Trade

After the Somer Isles Company dissolved, the people of Bermuda broadened their horizons by building ships and supplying salt, which was their main export for an entire century. Eventually merchant trade and jobs like whaling began to make the inhabitants more and more money. Ships built in Bermuda became known for their speed in agility. Around the 1900s, the Royal Navy started putting more time and money into the harbors of the islands. 

Bermuda Vactioners

By the 1900s, word got out of how beautiful the islands were, and it became a popular pick for rich foreigners, primarily from the U.K., U.S, and Canada. Imperial Airways and Pan American World Airways were the first airlines to make Bermuda a destination on their schedule. In 1948, airplanes began landing in what is now Bermuda International Airport. The 1960s-1970s were when Bermuda reached it's peak in popularity and, with it being just as easy to get to as anywhere else, tourism became the main contributor to the islands' economy. Bermuda is still popular for both U.S. and British militaries.

Historic Tourist Attractions

Many older sites are still popular today. To stroll down the roads of St. George's is like going back in time. Everyone wants to go to one of Bermuda's beaches. The Royal Navy Dockyard, built by the British in the 1870s, is still visited today by tourists and is now the largest museum in Bermuda. You can also find many other historic houses lived in by important colonial families of the past.