Founded Upon the Seas

Book excerpt: Founded Upon the Seas: A History of the Cayman Islands and Their People is the first comprehensive history of the Cayman Islands. Researched and written by the noted Caribbean Historian, Dr Michael Craton and the Cayman Islands New History Committee, it explores in detail the social, economic, and political history of all three islands. Caymanians were once renowned as shipbuilders, turtlers, and sailors, and their life, whether on sea or land, was marked by resourcefulness and strong communal ties born of hardship and isolation. Rapid changes since the 1960s have transformed the islands into a major tourist destination and an international banking centre. Founded Upon the Seas traces how this distinct community evolved from the days of the first settlers to the era of cruise ships, land development, and international finance. Based on a wealth of information drawn from archives and libraries in the Caribbean, Europe and North America, the text is illustrated with rare maps, facsimile documents and numerous photographs.