Nuestro pasado
Incluso los exploradores más experimentados se han perdido en nuestra abundante belleza natural. Durante siglos, nuestras islas cautivaron a colonos, comerciantes e invasores, mientras que nuestro canal de envío encantó a los piratas que descubrieron rápidamente todos nuestros fantásticos escondites. Hasta el día de hoy, todavía hay historias de tesoros. Sin embargo, el verdadero tesoro es nuestra gente. Los bahameños pueden vivir para el presente, pero nunca olvidamos nuestro pasado.
300 a 400 d.C. Lucayán / Cristóbal Colón
As early as 300 to 400 AD, people who came from what is now Cuba (there was no country named Cuba at that time) lived on The Islands Of The Bahamas and relied on the ocean for food. From around 900-1500 AD the Lucayan people settled here. They enjoyed a peaceful way of life and had developed viable political, social and religious systems.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus made landfall in the New World on the island of San Salvador. Inspired by the surrounding shallow sea, he described them as islands of the "baja mar" (shallow sea), which has become The Islands Of The Bahamas. When he arrived, there were about 40,000 Lucayans. Their peaceful nature made the Lucayans easy targets for enslavement however. Within 25 years, all of the Lucayans were wiped out due to the diseases, hardships and slavery endured.
1649 Primer Asentamiento
English Puritans known as "Eleutheran Adventurers" arrived here in 1649 in search of religious freedom. Instead, they found food shortages. Captain William Sayle sailed to the American colonies for help and received supplies from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Upon his return, the settlers thanked them by shipping them brasileto wood. The proceeds helped purchase land for what later become Harvard University.
1700 Era de la piratería
During the late 1600s to early 1700s, many privateers and pirates came here, the most famous one being Blackbeard and Calico Jack. There were also female pirates like Anne Bonny and Mary Read disguised as men.
Our shallow waters and 700 islands made great hiding places for treasure. And our close proximity to well-traveled shipping lanes made for the perfect spot to steal from merchant ships. There are rumors of hidden treasure that still exist today. It is believed that British pirate William Catt buried loot on Cat Island and Sir Henry Morgan, a wealthy privateer, buried treasure throughout our islands
1718 Las luchas de Nassau
Established around 1670 as a commercial port, Nassau was overrun by lawless, seafaring men. Years later, Nassau was destroyed twice—once by Spanish troops, the other time by French and Spanish navies.
Soon after, pirates began looting the heavily laden cargo ships. By 1718, the King of England appointed Woodes Rogers to serve as the Royal Governor. His job was to restore order. And he did. He offered amnesty to those who surrendered. Those who resisted would be hanged. 300 pirates surrendered and the rest, including Blackbeard, fled.
1783 El leal
Más de un siglo después, los colonos estadounidenses leales a Gran Bretaña llegaron a Eleuthera. Muchos trajeron a sus esclavos, así como sus habilidades de construcción y experiencia en agricultura y construcción naval. Estos influyeron mucho en la vida de Eleutheran. En 1783, solidificaron su independencia y obligaron a la retirada de las fuerzas españolas de la región sin disparar un solo tiro.
De 1861 a 1865 Guerra civil y prohibición
From 1861 to 1865, The Islands Of The Bahamas benefited greatly from the U.S Civil War. Britain's textile industry depended on Southern cotton; however, the Union blockaded British ships from reaching Southern ports. So blockade runners from Charleston met British ships here and traded cotton for British goods. Upon their return, they sold their shipment for huge profits.
The end of the Civil War marked the end of prosperity. In 1919, the United States passed the 18th amendment prohibiting alcohol. The colonial government expanded Prince George Wharf in Nassau to accommodate the flow of alcohol. When Prohibition ended in 1934 so did the enormous revenues. Combined with the collapse of the sponge harvesting industry, it economically devastated The Bahamas.
1898 Turismo e Independencia
The Hotel and Steam Ship Service Act of 1898 opened our doors to the world. This act provided the government support needed for the construction of hotels and subsidized service. Since then, everything from Prohibition bringing well-to-do Americans to the closure of Cuba to Americans has impacted tourism in our country.
On July 10, 1973, The Bahamas became a free and sovereign country, ending 325 years of peaceful British rule. However, The Bahamas is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and we celebrate July 10th as Bahamian Independence Day.