After christopher columbus landed in the bahamas in 1492, settlers, explorers and traders flocked to the islands. The bahamas simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Spangled between the depths of the north atlantic and floridas eastern coast. The creole case has been described as the most successful slave revolt in u. The archipelago is an ecological oasis, boasting the clearest water on the planet. This strategic location has given the history of the bahamas a unique and often striking character. The name bahamas comes from spanish, and it roughly translates to mean shallow water. The bahamas and the caribbean have withstood hurricanes.
The uk foreign and commonwealth office advises against all travel to grand bahama and the abaco islands, however, travel to other islands of the bahamas is unaffected. Fort montagu it is located at the eastern end of nassau harbor, standing along the waterfront, and was used to help defend the island from pirates between the years 1690 to 1720. This book was begun with a secret fear that the chief problem would be the scarcity of material. A history of the bahama islands to 1850 with a definitive study of abaco in the american loyalist plantation period sandra riley on. Essays on the history of the british caribbean and the. I have managed to fill in the gaps in my knowledge about plantations, slavery and emancipation, for a chapter of my family history book. Folklore in bahamas many different factors contributed to the formation of a potent and vital body of myths within the bahamas.
In 1492, christopher columbus made landfall in the new world on the island of san salvador. Caribbean islands history, history of british virgin islands. In the 1950s, the house of assembly engaged the distinguished historian hilary st. Among the strongest factors were the nations unusual geography, its noteworthy history, and the often turbulent mingling of cultures. This book is good, but not what i had expected it to be. Bimini island, bahamas, history, geography, folklore.
These are the best books primarily about the history of the bahamas. This historical fiction sweeps readers off to the caribbean, packing 700. Definitely not a page turner, but does contain a lot of great facts about the bahamian islands. Though the countrys story began centuries earlier, the arrival of columbus in the bahamas on 12 th october 1492 marked an important point in history which at the time was known to europeans as the discovery of the new world monuments, museums, and statues can be found throughout the. Because of the bahamas prime location close to florida and busy shipping channels, it didnt take long for the islands to become a desirable place for. While the history books may remember christopher columbus as the discoverer of the bahamas, the truth is that our islands were discovered a full millennium before european arrival. History of the bahamas paperback january 1, 1986 by michael craton author. The bahamas and the caribbean have withstood hurricanes for centuries europeans came to the islands unprepared for the destructive storms, even as. The book traces the history of the bahamas from early lucayan times to the present day when the bahama islands have achieved full nationhood and are renowned as a major tourist centre. To understand the evolution of keys history, the bahama islands should be considered. What makes the bahamas especially unique is the diverse history of settlers on the island. This firstofitskind book traces the story of over 200 vessels and their owners and mariners through hurricanes and politics to deliver church pews, screws, soda, thread, animals, produce, and more. The bahamas is a country steeped in the fascinating tales of christopher columbus history. List of books and articles about the bahamas online research.
History of the bahamas out islands the out islands of the bahamas gives new meaning to living history. The formal head of state is the british monarch, who is. In 1492, christopher columbus found the americas by landing on another of the islands, san salvador. The 15 best things to do in bahamas 2020 with photos. Great harbour cays close proximity to the southeastern united states combined with its unspoiled beauty and seeming remoteness, made it a tropical, private and very exclusive haven for the rich and famous during the late 1960s. These bold buccaneers looted cargo ships sailing along trading routes that circled the islands. Read the fulltext online edition of a history of the bahamas 1962. Reading comprehensions with references to the bahamas this section lists reading comprehensions on with references to the bahamas. In the early 18th century, the bahamas were a favorite pirate haunt. The constitution of the bahamas, adopted upon independence in 1973, is patterned on the westminster modeli. The 200mile stretch of islands just off the florida coast stretching to haiti is the. From the spot where christopher columbus landed on the bahamas in 1492 to the tales of rum runners and pirates, the history of the bahamas out islands is very much alive.
A history of the bahama islands to 1850 with a definitive study of. Mailboats of the bahamas a humble fleet of castoff merchant boats continues to serve over 50 remote communities in the bahamas archipelago. Please check with your relevant national government. The rich history of the out islands of the bahamas isnt just for history booksalthough youll find plenty of it thereit shapes the way the bahamians live, how. Anyone looking to learn about bahamian history should start with these books. In the 1600s the area drew pirates such as blackbeard and calico jack. Take this book with you on your next trip to the bahamas or the turks and caicos islands or keep it close to hand in your travel library. The bahamas, archipelago and country on the northwestern edge of the west indies. Obviously, historical through american eyes therefore subject to some mild in later portions of the book.
Bahamas time line chronological timetable of events. The first inhabitants of the islands were the lucayans, an arawakanspeaking taino people, who arrived between about 500 and 800 ad from other islands of the caribbean. Book your tickets online for the top things to do in bahamas, caribbean on tripadvisor. The bicameral parliament comprises the house of assembly and the senate, whose powers are relatively restricted compared with those of the house. The islands of the bahamas have captivated people for centuries, from settlers to traders. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. More than 300,000 people live here, making it a relatively populous country. The earliest arrival of humans in the islands now known as the bahamas was in the first. The following is an alphabetical list of the islands of the commonwealth of the bahamas. One of the smallest destinations in the bahamas, bimini is close enough to miami just 81km50 miles to be distinctly separate from the archipelagos other islands. An outline of the geographical factors which have been so influential in bahamian affairs adds. Later, the spanish shipped the native lucayans to slavery on hispaniola, after which the bahama islands were mostly deserted from 15 until 1648, when english colonists from. The history of nassau was interesting and i cant wait to go back and see what i missed first time, there is more than first meets the eye.
Major causes of death in the bahamas 1917 1920 4 weeks ago attesting to the pure whiteness of george granville morton of palmetto point, eleuthera 1907 1 month ago tracing forgotten history of one novel flu virus. Piracy thrived in the 17th and 18th centuries because of. 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. The following is a brief history of the bahamas with occasional references to the keys. The bahamas known officially as the commonwealth of the bahamas, is a country within the. Columbuss first encounter with the new world was on oct. The bahamas is comprised of 700 islands and over 2,000 rocks and cays, sprinkled over 100,000 square miles of ocean. The british first built settlements on the islands in the 17th century. The rich history of the out islands of the bahamas isnt just for history booksalthough youll find plenty of it thereit shapes the way bahamians live, how they work and especially how they celebrate. Today we know the bahamas as paradise, a beautiful place with pristine waters, a sunny atmosphere with white sandy beaches and amazing food. The arawak indians were the first inhabitants of the bahamas. An outline of the geographical factors which have been so influential in bahamian affairs adds to our understanding of its history. The natural history of the bahamas by dave currie paperback.
Bimini has remained relatively unchanged over the years and is a very quiet and peaceful place to live or stay. Mary moseley was said for years to be preparing a definitive history, but she died with it unwritten and the 1926 guide book is her only monument. Read on to learn more about the history of piracy in the bahamas. 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. The eleutheran adventurers soon came along, making a home in eleuthera. The eighth edition of this popular chartbook includes what you, bahamas cruisers, ask for detailed gulf stream crossing routes plus small and largescale charts of the abacos, the biminis, the berrys, grand bahama, new providence, and andros. It relates these islands checkered past, from pirates to. A history of the bahama islands to 1850 with a definitive study of abaco in the american loyalist plantation period. The many ports of call in abaco, the bahamas, are featured in stunning aerial photography and informative text in this new book.
Humans have lived on the islands of the bahamas since around the fourth century. A significant percentage of those islands are technically cays, or coral reef islands, and most are uninhabited. Since its inception in 1999, bahamas ferries has revolutionized interisland transportation in the bahamas with its stateoftheart vessels that connect the major family islands of abaco, andros, eleuthera, exuma, grand bahama and long island. The earliest arrival of humans in the islands now known as the bahamas was in the first millennium ad. Beginning at the northern most point of abaco and following this island chain south, dozens of destinations and anchorages are. Discover librarianselected research resources on the bahamas from the. The bahamas have an idyllic climate making the islands extremely popular tourist destinations. Whilst there is a general consensus that this island lay within the bahamas, precisely which island.
Formerly a british colony, the bahamas became an independent country within the commonwealth in 1973. As early as 300 ad, the inhabitants of nowcuba crossed the sea to live on and fish the bahamian islands. When, in 1492, christopher columbus made his first landing in the new world in the bahamas, the people who met him were arawaks who, he wrote, have opened their hearts to us. Their ancestors came from mainland south america, where arawakanlanguage peoples were present in most territories, and especially along the northeastern coast. A history of the bahamas by michael craton, 1962 online. History books tell us the islands of the bahamas were discovered by christopher columbus in 1492, when he landed on the island of san salvador and described his surroundings as baja mar shallow sea. The bahamas officially called commonwealth of the bahamas is a group of islands in the west indies. History of the bahamas out islands the out islands of the bahamas. The islands are not innocent of factions, each with its favourite myths. Columbus was the first european to see the islands, making his first landfall in the new world in 1492. The story of the bahamas macmillan, by paul albury, is a 294page history thats the best of its kind. The near bahamas, the islands closest to florida, provide a tropical cruising paradise just a short distance from mainland usa.