The free ports of the colonial era Caribbean were cosmopolitan, multilingual environments that were important not only in times of war, but also for the day-to-day survival of Caribbean people. The port of Gustavia, on the Swedish island of St Barthélemy (also known as St Barths or St Barts), was one such place in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Its wide-ranging trade network was essential for supporting the populations of the small Eastern Caribbean islands, whose steep slopes and dry soils were often unsuitable for large-scale agriculture. Gustavia thereby helped to create the Eastern Caribbean as a region shaped by European colonialism. Upon taking over St Barths from the French in 1784, the Swedish government was keen to attract colonists who could contribute skills and labour to the growing town.