History of The Bahamas

Geography has also played a part in Bahamian history. In 1492, Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the New World on the island of San Salvador in the eastern Bahamas. After observing the shallow sea around the islands, he said "baja mar" (meaning low water or sea), and effectively named the area The Bahamas, or The Islands of the Shallow Sea.

The Bahamas are were located close to Florida and well-travelled shipping channels. The Islands of the Bahamas caught the attention of explorers, settlers, invaders and traders. These people shaped the colourful history of The Bahamas and made the country what it is today.

Lucayan era / Columbus

Recent archaeological digs indicate people lived in The Islands of

First Settlement

In 1648, a group of dissident English Puritans, the Eleutheran

Age of Piracy

The late 1600s to the early 1700s was a golden age for pirates

The Loyalists

More than a century later, another major influx of newcomers

Civil War and Prohibition

From 1861 until 1865, the boom and bust economy of The Bahamas

Tourism and Independence

The Islands' recent history, how tourism affected The Bahamas