Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Puritan Justice
Many tales are told about the fate of
persons condemned for witchcraft dur-
ing the 1600s. Anyone suspected of
collusion with the devil was thrown into
St. George's Harbour; whoever did not
sink was adjudged guilty. Many women
floated because of their skirts and pet-
ticoats. The first woman to be found
floating after her trial was Jeanne Gar-
diner, in 1651. Since her failure to
plunge to the depths “proved” that she
was a witch, the court ordered her
removed from the water; she was then
burned at the stake. Not only women,
however, were tried for witchcraft; in
1652, a man was condemned to death
for having cast a spell over his neigh-
bor's turkeys. Justice in those Puritan
times was stern, in Bermuda no less
than in the American colonies.
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promising higher wages and better benefits to workers, even though Bermuda resi-
dents enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. In 2003, W. Alexander
Scott replaced Smith as the prime minister and head of the party.
Also in 2003, tragedy struck the island in the roaring fury called Hurricane Fabian,
Bermuda's worst hurricane in 40 years. For some 12 hours, Fabian pummeled the
island with 190 to 225kmph (120-140 mph) winds. This caused small tornadoes to
spawn and unleashed a towering surge of ocean that drenched almost all of Bermuda
in saltwater, uprooting trees.
In the 21st century, Bermuda faces many problems, including what many see as a
declining quality of life. There are environmental concerns—notably overfishing and
damage to precious reefs. Traffic jams are now common despite the ban against visi-
tors renting automobiles. Affordable housing becomes scarcer year by year. As more
cruise lines launch megaliners, Bermuda is also concerned that its tight harbors will
not be able to accommodate the traffic. Nonetheless, the more unfortunate islands
to the south still envy Bermuda's standard of living.
In spite of the falloff of the global economy, in late 2008 and in 2009 Bermuda still
enjoyed the third highest per capita income in the world, more than 50% higher than
that of the U.S.
A number of insurance companies relocated to Bermuda following the September
11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., and again after Hur-
ricane Katrina in Louisiana in August 2005. In spite of the falloff of real estate in the
United States, the average cost of a house in Bermuda in 2008 was slightly less than
1 million U.S. dollars.
In 2009, Bermuda celebrated its 400th birthday. The island held a yearlong birth-
day party to honor its cultural heritage.
BERMUDA ART &
ARCHITECTURE
Art
Art in Bermuda has never reached the status enjoyed by such islands as Haiti and
Jamaica. A critic once wrote that “Bermuda is the perfect place for the Sunday
painter.” Some serious art, however, is displayed at such places as the Masterworks
Foundation Gallery at the Bermuda National Gallery in the City of Hamilton
