The Siboney Indians, the first known residents of the Bahamas, survived here about 7,000 years ago on conch and fishing. Sometime after the Siboneys disappeared, the Arawak Indians, also called Lucayans, migrated to the islands from the Amazon region of South America. The Lucayans were prosperous and plentiful, with an estimated population of around 40,000 by the late 15th century. Most historians believe they developed an advanced political and social structure and lived in well-organized cities. But shortly after Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492, they were rapidly exterminated by the Spanish, and as a result, little is known about them.

When Columbus “discovered” the Bahamas, he sailed through the narrow Crooked Island Passage down the leeward side of the islands. This major shipping thoroughfare eventually became so popular that it also attracted pirates and buccaneers, who found the shallow waters and numerous sandbars to be an ideal setting for attacking unwary ships. Hundreds of secluded cays and islets allowed marauding ships to lie in wait and pounce on unwitting prey sailing by. Spanish conquistadors, having plundered South and Central America, had their treasure-laden galleons overtaken by pirates as they came through the islands on their way home to Europe.

But pirates weren’t the only ones having their way with passing ships. The people of Abacos survived for years by pillaging ships that were unfortunate enough to wreck off the shores of the islands. In fact, the waters off these islands are said to be the final resting place for nearly 500 Spanish galleons! Unfortunately, the wrecks weren’t always caused by storms; the islanders often helped guide passing ships to their doom by swinging lanterns at night off the treacherous reefs and sandbars.

By 1700, Nassau was actually ruled by pirates, who chased off most of the law-abiding citizens. Edward Teach, the notorious Blackbeard, commandeered Fort Nassau as his residence and spent his time infuriating the British Royal Navy. Finally in 1718, the British appointed a former privateer, Woodes Rogers, to be Royal Governor of Nassau. He offered pardons to all pirates who agreed to cease their operations except for Blackbeard, Charles Vane, and eight other swashbucklers. Blackbeard and Vane escaped, but Blackbeard was later killed in June 1718 off the coast of Virginia.

American Loyalists began to settle in the Bahamas in the late 18th century, bringing with them slaves and money to start a cotton industry. By the beginning of the 19th century more than 40 plantations were thriving, employing over 1200 slaves. When cotton growing became uneconomical, the islanders turned to diving for sponges, until the sponges were wiped out by a fungus. The people then turned to fishing and simple farming, which is still how they earn their living today.

Records from West End, the oldest city on Grand Bahama Island, show that the population in 1836 was only about 370, many of whom abandoned the island for greater opportunities in Nassau. But in 1861 people flocked back to Grand Bahama because of an unexpected economic opportunity—the American Civil War. At the outbreak of the war, with the Confederacy of Southern States under a strict Union embargo, smugglers operating out of West End were able to command hefty prices from the South for goods such as cotton, sugar, and weapons. As soon as the war ended, the economic boom ended as well, but it established strong ties between the Bahamas and the United States that still exist.

A second smuggling boom came a few decades later when the 14th Amendment prohibited alcohol in the United States. Warehouses, distilleries, bars, and supply stores sprang up all over West End, and the town’s smugglers developed a foolproof operation. They’d sail off at night, dragging huge cylinders of liquor tied to ropes behind them. If the American Coast Guard spotted them, the smugglers simply cut the ropes and waited for the patrol boats to leave. Then they recovered the cylinders and continued on their journey. Eventually prohibition ended, the economy did another nosedive, and people started fishing again.

Each island of the Bahamas has its own story that contributes to the fabric of the islands’ history. On Cat Island, once home to numerous cotton plantations established in the 1700s, visitors can explore vine-covered, semi-ruined mansions and stone walls. Crumbling remnants of slave villages and artifacts in Arawak caves whisper of a life long past. Descendants of those early settlers live in the same towns their ancestors helped establish. Pinder’s Point was once actually four separate towns, each named after a white settler who owned the land. Freed slaves took over the lands and passed them on to their descendants, and the four communities grew into each other. Williams Town was also founded by a freed slave, and some of his descendants still live there. Freetown, a village given its name because it was the first place that slaves were freed in 1834, is now just a cemetery and some rubble.

The people of the Bahamas celebrate their colorful history in many ways including exhibits, guided tours, and annual festivals. Although their ancestors were brought here as slaves to work on the plantations, the sting of oppression has vanished through the years along with the past. Bahamians are proud of their ownership of the land, and they welcome visitors to come explore and learn about the people and events that helped shape the islands of the Bahamas into the fascinating place they call home.

Timeline of historic events in the Bahamas during the 1900's

1904: The first car arrives in Nassau – a 4 hp. 1902 model Oldsmobile, the first mass-produced U.S. car, owned by U.S. Vice-Consul Henry Mostyn.

1906: The first telephone system is installed. There were 150 subscribers, 147 of which were businesses located around central Bay Street.

1908: The Royal Bank of Canada opens its first branch on Bay Street, marking the coming of foreign financial centers to The Bahamas, a trend which has grown into a most significant local industry.

1909: Electricity becomes available in The Bahamas when a gas generator is installed which produced a weak current. By 1916, there were still only 443 subscribers and 276 streetlights. Electric current to private homes was cut off at 1 am.

1911: The first movie is shown in Nassau. By 1913, two motion picture theatres were in business – the Royal and Imperial Theatres. The first twin cinemas, located on Blue Hill Road, would not open until 1976.

1913: Ice begins to be produced locally. Before then, it was imported from Maine during the winter and stored in an ice-house.

1919: Prohibition in the U.S. creates an economic boom in The Bahamas via rum running.

1935: The first Labor Union is formed.

1938: The sponge blight: A mysterious fungus sweeps sponge beds, bringing on a sudden drop in economy. After much hardship, what was once a very lucrative local industry eventually died.

1940: The Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VII of England, arrives in Nassau to preside as Governor of The Bahamas.

1942: Construction of the Nassau International Airport begins, during which riots erupt over wages. Following the "Burma Road Riot", the Duke of Windsor organized ‘the Contract’ which allowed for up to 5,000 Bahamians to obtain work (mostly on farms) in the U.S. from 1943-1963.

1943: Sir Harry Oakes is mysteriously murdered; Mike Mckinney is the first Bahamian to die in action during WWII.

1949: The Hotels Encouragement Act is passed, designed to give a boost to the tourism industry.

1952: The People’s Penny Savings Bank, the first formal black-owned bank, opens in Grant’s Town. The dream of founder Leon Mckinney, the bank’s purpose was to allow any man, woman and child to take a step towards self-sufficiency by being able to open an account with 1 cent. The bank was eventually liquidated in the 1980’s.

1955: The Hawksbill Creek Agreement is signed, allowing American Wallace Groves to build Freeport.

1957: Nassau International Airport opens. One hundred protesting taxi drivers block access to the new airport for 24 hours.

1958: In support of 1957’s protests, a 16-day General Strike brings Nassau to a screeching halt. Unionized or not, just about every worker participated, and the strike was quite peaceful. The result was the Trade Union and Industrial Conciliation Act and the setting up of a Labor Department.

1959: The Bahamas National Trust is created with the aim of protecting the Bahamian environment.

1961: Women are granted the right to vote. They would first exercise that right during the General Election in November of 1962.

1965: A cruise ship, the Yarmouth Castle, sinks off Bahamian shores following a fire.

1966: Nassau harbor is dredged to create Arawak Cay.

1967: Majority rule comes into effect with the change of government; The first Paradise Island bridge opens.

1970: The U.S. dumps lethal nerve gas off Abaco shores in 6 miles of water.

1973: The Bahamas becomes an independent nation (143rd member of the United Nations); Bahamasair’s first plane arrives in Nassau, providing domestic service.

1974: The College of The Bahamas and National Insurance are established.

1977: Television 13 (ZNS) is officially commissioned.

1980: The Bahamas Defense Force arrests two Cuban fishing boats in Bahamian waters. While towing the Cuban boats to port, the BDF vessels are attacked by Cuban MIG Fighters who destroy the HMBS Flamingo and kill four Bahamian marines.

1981: The Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) stage an unprecedented 3-week strike for improved pay and conditions.

1983: An archeological dig at Long Bay Site in San Salvador uncovers green and yellow glass beads pointing to Columbus’ first landing. International debate erupts over this theory.

1989: Cable television comes to The Bahamas on Grand Bahama. In 1995, a more elaborate cable system, which would cover most of the islands, is activated.

1992: The FNM wins the General Election and becomes only the second governing administration since 1967.

1993: For the first time, three private radio stations are granted licenses: 100 Jamz, LOVE 97 and another in Freeport.

1998: A second bridge connecting Paradise Island to New Providence opens, coinciding with a major downtown traffic reversal and the grand opening of Sun International’s Atlantis resort.