| In 1492, Christopher Columbus made his | | | | forested. The forests were cleared |
| first landfall in the Western Hemisphere | | | | during plantation days and have not |
| in The Bahamas. He encountered Arawak | | | | regrown. |
| Indians and exchanged gifts with them. | | | | In the mid-17th century, English |
| They were of the Lucayan tribe, and some | | | | settlers named the Eleutheran |
| traveled with Columbus in his return to | | | | Adventurers, founded the first permanent |
| Europe. | | | | European settlement in The Bahamas, and |
| Spanish slave traders later captured | | | | gave the island of Eleuthera its name. |
| native Lucayan Indians to work in gold | | | | As time went by, more and more of these |
| mines in Hispaniola, and within 25 | | | | settlements formed until the Bahamas |
| years, all Lucayans perished. Without a | | | | Islands became a British Crown Colony in |
| source of slaves, the Spanish did not | | | | 1717. |
| colonize the islands, though they had | | | | Woodes Rogers, a former pirate, was |
| claimed The Bahamas. In 1647 - during | | | | appointed as the first royal governor. |
| the time of the English Civil War - a | | | | Under his governorship, pirates and |
| group of Puritan religious refugees from | | | | buccaneers such as Blackbeard and Henry |
| the royalist colony of Bermuda, the | | | | Morgan, who frequently infested the |
| Eleutheran Adventurers, founded the | | | | waters around the islands, were driven |
| first permanent European settlement in | | | | off. |
| The Bahamas and gave Eleuthera Island | | | | Palm TreesThe following decades were |
| its name. | | | | tumultuous ones for the islands: the |
| Similar groups of settlers formed | | | | Spanish attacked the islands several |
| governments in The Bahamas, but the | | | | times; an American force held Nassau for |
| isolated cays sheltered pirates and | | | | a short time in 1776, and in 1781, the |
| wreckers through the 17th century. | | | | Spanish captured Nassau and took |
| Charles II granted land in the Bahamas | | | | possession of the whole colony. In 1973, |
| to the Lords proprietors of Carolina, | | | | the islands were ceded to Great Britain |
| but the islands were left entirely to | | | | under the terms of the Treaty of Paris. |
| themselves. After Charles Town was | | | | After the American Revolution, many |
| destroyed by a joint French and Spanish | | | | Loyalists migrated to islands such as |
| fleet in 1703, the local pirates | | | | the Exumas, bringing their African |
| proclaimed an anarchic 'Privateers' | | | | slaves along with them to work the |
| Republic' with Edward Teach— better | | | | cotton fields. After the emancipation of |
| known as Blackbeard— for chief | | | | slaves in 1834 however, plantation life |
| magistrate. Nassau was the main port | | | | slowly died out. Lord John Rolle, a |
| preferred by the pirates during this | | | | powerful Loyalist and a major landowner |
| time. | | | | in the Exumas, actually bequeathed land |
| But, when the islands became a British | | | | to his slaves for life when he freed |
| Crown Colony in 1717, the first Royal | | | | them in 1835. Several towns in the |
| Governor, a reformed pirate named Woodes | | | | Exumas are named after him and many of |
| Rogers, brought law and order to The | | | | the people who live there carry the last |
| Bahamas in 1718, when he expelled the | | | | name of "Rolle." |
| buccaneers who had used the islands as | | | | In 1861, during the American Civil War, |
| hideouts. Instead, the pirates still | | | | the Union Navy blockaded the islands in |
| working in these waters became | | | | order to stop supplies from reaching the |
| privateers. Rogers is best known for his | | | | Confederacy. As a result, |
| capture of pirates Calico Jack, Anne | | | | blockade-running became something of a |
| Bonny, and Mary Read. | | | | pastime among the islanders. Indeed, |
| During the American War of Independence | | | | many Bahamians grew rich running |
| the Bahamas fell to Spanish forces under | | | | Confederate cotton to English mills and |
| General Galvez in 1782. After the | | | | sending military equipment to the |
| American Revolution the British | | | | Confederate army. |
| government issued land grants to a group | | | | Hard times followed the end of the Civil |
| of British Loyalists, and the sparse | | | | War until Prohibition transformed the |
| population of The Bahamas tripled in a | | | | islands into a base for rum-running. |
| few years. The planters thought to grow | | | | After Prohibition was repealed however, |
| cotton, but the limy soil was unsuited, | | | | the Bahamas saw an economic downturn. |
| and the plantations soon failed. Many of | | | | Prosperity did not return until World |
| the current inhabitants are descended | | | | War II, when the islands served as a |
| from the slave population brought to | | | | military base for the U.S., and later, a |
| work on the Loyalist plantations. When | | | | missile testing ground for Great |
| the UK outlawed the slave trade in 1807, | | | | Britain. In 1955, a free trade area was |
| the Royal Navy began intercepting ships | | | | established at the town of Freeport. It |
| and depositing freed slaves in The | | | | proved widely successful in stimulating |
| Bahamas. Plantation life was finished | | | | offshore banking and tourism. It was the |
| after the emancipation of remaining | | | | first time that the beauty and charm of |
| slaves in 1834. | | | | the islands were recognized as important |
| During the American Civil War, The | | | | commodities. When Cuba was closed to |
| Bahamas prospered as a center of | | | | U.S. tourists in the 1950s, The Bahamas |
| Confederate blockade-running, bringing | | | | forged ahead to become one of the |
| out cotton for the mills of England and | | | | world's most popular tourist |
| running in arms and munitions. After | | | | destinations. |
| World War I, the islands served as a | | | | Fumbling Towards Democracy |
| base for American rumrunners. During | | | | Through the efforts of the Progressive |
| World War II, the Allies centered their | | | | Liberal Party (PLP), black Bahamians |
| flight training and antisubmarine | | | | began to successfully oppose the ruling, |
| operations for the Caribbean in The | | | | white-controlled government led by the |
| Bahamas. Since Havana closed to American | | | | United Bahamian Party. It was only in |
| tourists in 1961, The Bahamas has | | | | the 1967 elections however, that the PLP |
| developed into a major tourist resort | | | | was able to take over the reigns of |
| and at the same time the establishment | | | | government. The Bahamas were granted |
| of Freeport as a free trade zone (1955) | | | | limited powers of self-government as a |
| developed an off-shore financial | | | | British crown colony in 1964, powers |
| services center with a reputation for a | | | | which were broadened in 1969 through the |
| tolerant atmosphere. | | | | efforts of then Prime Minister, Lynden |
| Bahamians achieved self-government | | | | O. Pindling. The PLP, campaigning on a |
| through a series of constitutional and | | | | platform of immediate independence, won |
| political steps, attaining internal | | | | an overwhelming victory in the 1972 |
| self-government in 1964 and full | | | | elections and negotiations with Britain |
| independence within the Commonwealth of | | | | began. On July 10, 1973, the Bahamas |
| Nations on July 10, 1973. | | | | became a sovereign state within the |
| When Europeans first arrived, they | | | | Commonwealth of Nations. |
| reported the Bahamas were lushly | | | | |