As both the capitol and largest city in the Isle of Man, Douglas carries quite a burden on its broad shoulders. The Isle of Man is a very popular tourist spot as well as a self-sustaining part of the United Kingdom and Douglas, as the center of tourism, shopping, transport, business, entertainment, and finance for the Isle, is an absolutely essential part of the city's subsistence. In addition, the city's placement on the River Douglas makes it also a very important harbor location for freight and shipping.
One could say that Douglas has had an air of importance ever since it was first discovered by Vikings. Since then, the city has been referred to by countless sources outside of the Isle of Man. As far back as 1192, Douglas was being written about at length by monks from abbeys in places as far away as Rushen. The famed Robert the Bruce even spoke of the beauty of Douglas when he slept at the city's monastery on his way to storming various English castles. The city quickly grew in size and prominence after that and by the 1600s it was considered "the greatest resort" on the Isle of Man by none other than Thomas Denton.
Less than a hundred years after Denton's bold claim, a shocking discovery occurred that would prove to heighten Douglas' status to even more acclaim: The New World. When the Americas were uncovered to a surprised Europe, transatlantic trade became a new possibility and Douglas was in the perfect spot to reap the benefits. The city's port was home to some of the largest shipping traders at the time including the Moores, the Bacons, and the Murreys. As a result the harbor grew in both size and prominence and the city itself expanded in relation to this booming period. In the beginning of the 1700s, less than a thousand people called Douglas home but by the end of the century the population was almost three thousand. Timing, if you haven't noticed by now, has been a large part of Douglas' success and the beginning of the 1800s was no exception. The Industrial Revolution coincided perfectly with Douglas' fortunes and the town quickly adapted to the worldwide change, albeit in a way much differently than most of the surrounding English burgs. Instead of becoming a factory town filled with smokestacks and pollution, Douglas bragged about its beautiful scenery and gorgeous harbor at great lengths and, in the process, the city reinvented itself as a holiday resort town. Thousands of visitors began to pour into Douglas, making commerce and tourism yet another source of income for a city that had already had more than enough under its belt.
Here we stand today, with Douglas still at the forefront of the major industries that support the Isle of Man. One can say with more than a little security that Douglas seems poised to lead the Isle into yet another decade of prominence, and we can only hope that this tradition continues unabated long into the distant future.
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