Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Spanish overland trade route faded upon the destruction of the Caribbean port at Portobe-
lo in 1746.
Panama gained independence in 1821 and became part of Gran Colombia; a decade
later the regional confederation dissolved and Panama belonged to Colombia. Panama
City subsequently declined in importance, though it would return to prominence in the
1850s when the Panama Railroad was completed, and gold seekers on their way to Cali-
fornia flooded across the isthmus by train.
Panama declared its independence from Colombia on November 3, 1903, and Panama
City was firmly established as the capital. Since the Panama Canal was completed in
1914, the city has emerged as a center for international business and trade.
The city's greatest modern setback occurred in 1989, when the USA invaded to oust
dictator (and former US collaborator) Manuel Noriega from power. The capital suffered
damage both from the invasion itself and from the subsequent looting, with residential
blocks of El Chorillo destroyed by combat-ignited fire.
Following the handover of the Panama Canal from the US to Panama in 1999, and the
subsequent closure of American military bases in the country, Panama City has taken
charge of its own destiny. Today, Panama City is by far the wealthiest city in Central
America. With a spate of foreign investment and the Panama Canal expansion, the city is
poised to continue its constant transformation.
CAPTAIN MORGAN
After sacking Panama in 1671, Captain Henry Morgan burnt the city to the ground,
massacred its inhabitants and made off with the richest booty in the Americas. Be-
cause his actions violated a peace treaty between England and Spain, Morgan was
arrested and conducted to England the following year, but acquitted since he sup-
posedly had no prior knowledge of the treaty. In 1674 Morgan was knighted before
departing for Jamaica to take up the post of Lieutenant Governor.
Although Captain Morgan is best remembered for his nefarious exploits at sea,
the last several years of his life in Port Royal (the 'Sodom of the New World') is the
stuff of legends. Here, he lived out the last years of his life spending the riches of
Panama.
The events surrounding his death remain a mystery. He died in 1688, at the age
of 53, leaving behind an immense personal fortune. Although his death has been
attributed to tuberculosis and dropsy (edema), the local lore has it that world's
most infamous pirate simply drank himself to death. Now his legacy lives on in the
form of spiced rum.
