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