| When people think about the history of
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| | lure in ships just so that they would
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| the Bahamas, they think of Christopher
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| | sink and the treasure would be raided.
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| Columbus landing there and claiming it
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| | Nassau was run by pirates for almost 40
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| for Spain in the late 1400s. This is
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| | years. They love to raid the Spanish
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| entirely true. But the Bahamas also had
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| | galleons. It had gotten so bad that
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| an ancient civilization that dates back
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| | Spanish troops destroyed Nassau in hopes
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| as early as 300-400 AD, which may have
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| | of ending the piracy in 1695. It didn't
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| come from Cuba and counted on the ocean
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| | work, after a couple of years it was
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| for their food. This has been discovered
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| | rebuilt. It was the pirates and
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| by recent archaeological digs on the
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| | privateers goal to make it the
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| islands. Later an advanced civilization
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| | privateering capitol, but because the
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| for their time settled on the Bahama
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| | pirates kept raiding the French and
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| Islands. They were the Lucayan Indians.
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| | Spanish ships the two navies collaborated
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| In the 10th century the Lucayans left
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| | and wiped out Nassau for a second time in
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| their home in the Lesser Antilles to
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| | 1703. However, the pirates were like a
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| escape their enemies. The Carib Indians
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| | bad penny. They kept turning up. It was
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| were fierce warriors and were also
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| | too easy for them to loot passing cargo
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| cannibals but the Lucayans were peaceful
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| | ships and it wasn't long before Nassau
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| people and were farmers. Lucayans were
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| | was again rebuilt.In 1718 the King of
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| very advanced in politics and religion.
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| | England, tired of complaints of piracy,
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| They used tools and lived in thatched
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| | appointed Woodes Rogers as Royal Governor
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| homes. The Lucayans were a thriving
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| | of the islands and asked him to restore
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| colony of 40,000 when Christopher
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| | order. He offered amnesty to those who
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| Columbus landed. It was then decided
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| | surrendered. The ones who didn't would
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| that these gentle people would be
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| | be sentenced to death. There was a very
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| enslaved to work in mines and it only
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| | brief battle with his four battleships
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| took 25 years for the entire Lucayan
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| | and about 300 pirates gave in and the
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| people to be wiped out completely. The
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| | rest fled.After more than 100 years, a
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| tribe suffered from foreign diseases,
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| | fresh stream of colonists arrived from
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| slavery and hardship.Eleutheran
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| | America. With them they brought skills
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| Adventurers helped give the island its
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| | for farming and shipbuilding. They also
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| name: Eleuthera. Eleutheran Adventurers
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| | brought their slaves. In 1783 the
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| were a group of English Puritans seeking
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| | people, along with South Carolina
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| religious freedom. What they found was
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| | militia, forced Spanish troops back
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| hardship and the fact that they were not
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| | without a single shot being fired. This
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| prepared to survive successfully on the
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| | in turned gave them their
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| island. They later separated into other
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| | independence.During the U.S. Civil War
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| communities at what now are Governor's
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| | there was another boost in economy. The
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| Harbour and Preacher's Cave. After their
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| | British favored the south because it
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| leader Captain William Sayles returned
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| | needed the cotton for their textile
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| from the American colonies with supplies
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| | industry. However it couldn't get
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| they were better able to defend their
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| | through the port because of the Union
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| outpost from the Spanish.The Bahamas
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| | blockade. Then came the blockade
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| continues with their exciting history.
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| | runners. With their fast ships they
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| After a while the pirates came along.
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| | would take the southern cotton and meet
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| This was called the Age of Piracy. It
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| | up with British ship and trade goods.
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| was during the late 1600s to early 1700s.
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| | They in turn would return to the U.S. and
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| Lots of famous pirates that just about
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| | sell their goods for huge profits. After
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| everyone has heard of used the Bahamas to
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| | the war though the economy sank
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| live, store or bury their "booty" or
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| | again.Then came 1919 when the U.S. passed
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| treasure. Pirates like Blackbeard,
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| | the 14th amendment prohibiting alcohol.
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| Calico Jack and Sir Henry Morgan. There
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| | That's when smuggling started happening
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| were even two famous women who dressed as
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| | and again another boost in the economy.
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| men and were pirates. They were Anne
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| | Then prohibition was lifted in 1934 and
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| Bonny and Mary Read. They both sailed
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| | with that and the collapse of sponge
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| under Calico Jack. At the end of the
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| | harvesting, the Bahamas got a double
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| piracy era Mary died in a prison cell and
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| | whammy and the economy plummeted.
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| after Anne gave birth to a son, she
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| | Things really turned around for them when
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| disappeared never to be seen again.Nassau
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| | in 1961 Cuba closed its doors to the
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| was the perfect place for the pirates and
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| | United States. In turn tourism picked up
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| privateers to settle. It was a
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| | there. Especially because they were so
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| commercial port been was overran by
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| | close to the U.S. and they had beautiful
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| lawless, pirates and privateers.
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| | beaches to offer. Now the Bahamas are
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| "Wreckers", were also in Nassau.
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| | thriving and they became their own nation
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| Wreckers would build false lighthouses to
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| | on July 10th 1973.
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