Bermuda is a small island with a very big history. Thanks to the Bermuda National Trust, much of the islandrust 17 historic sites are open to the public, perfect for an afternoon stroll through days gone by. The historic houses, churches and public buildings will take you back to a time when English colonists courageously constructed a new town; when American revolutionaries traded food for gunpowder; when Bermudans supplied Confederate soldiers in the American Civil War with provisions; and when the island gradually developed a unique culture all its own.

If your interests lie in political history, be sure to visit the Tucker House Museum, which traces the history of one of Bermuda at the center of Bermudan politics from 1616, when Dan Tucker became the second governor of Bermuda, until 1807, when Henry Tucker was president of the governor familyn furniture, painted portraits, crystal, china and silverware. The kitchen exhibits pay tribute to the inspiring life of Joseph Rainey, a man born into slavery who escaped to Bermuda during the American Civil War. In the 1860s he ran a barbershop in the kitchen of the house before returning to the states, where he later became the first black U.S. Congressman.

Another worthwhile stop along your stroll down memory lane is the Bermuda National Trust Museum at the Globe Hotel. This impressive, peach-colored stone building served as offices for Confederate soldiers. Pass through the exhibit that charts Bermuda and history with the story of the Civil War. To complete your journey through yesteryear, tour The Old Rectory, an unfinished church and two military cemeteries, along the way passing by picturesque cottages, like Fanny Fox