Encyclopedia/3. History, Societies & Civilizations/09. Modern Nations/02. Americas • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
History of Bahamas (AI-generated, sourced to Wikipedia).
Chronological Storyline (30 Milestones)
500 BCE
Lucayan people settle islands
Taíno-speaking Lucayan people migrate to the Bahamas from the Caribbean, establishing communities across the archipelago. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Flag of the Bahamas By Government of Bahamas - Own work. This vector image was generated programmatically from geometry defined in File:Flag of the Bahamas (construction sheet).svg., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=344732
Oct 12, 1492 CE
Columbus arrives in Bahamas
Christopher Columbus makes first landfall in the New World at Guanahani (San Salvador), encountering the Lucayan people. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Columbus arrives in Bahamas By Sebastiano del Piombo - This file was donated to Wikimedia Commons as part of a project by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. See the Image and Data Resources Open Access Policy, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27554267
1492 CE
Spanish enslavement begins
Spanish colonists begin capturing Lucayan people for forced labor in Hispaniola, devastating the indigenous population within decades. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Flag of the Bahamas By Government of Bahamas - Own work. This vector image was generated programmatically from geometry defined in File:Flag of the Bahamas (construction sheet).svg., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=344732
1513 CE
Islands left depopulated
By the early 16th century, the Bahamas are largely depopulated due to enslavement and disease, remaining virtually uninhabited for over a century. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Flag of the Bahamas By Government of Bahamas - Own work. This vector image was generated programmatically from geometry defined in File:Flag of the Bahamas (construction sheet).svg., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=344732
1648 CE
Eleutheran Adventurers settle
A group of English Puritans from Bermuda led by William Sayle settle on Eleuthera, seeking religious freedom. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Flag of the Bahamas By Government of Bahamas - Own work. This vector image was generated programmatically from geometry defined in File:Flag of the Bahamas (construction sheet).svg., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=344732
1670 CE
Proprietary government established
King Charles II grants the Bahamas to the Lords Proprietors of Carolina, establishing colonial governance over the islands. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Flag of the Bahamas By Government of Bahamas - Own work. This vector image was generated programmatically from geometry defined in File:Flag of the Bahamas (construction sheet).svg., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=344732
1695 CE
Nassau founded
Nassau is established as the capital and main settlement, replacing Charles Town which had been destroyed by Spanish and French raids. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Aerial view of downtown Nassau, Bahamas (pop. 292,522), the capital and largest city of The Bahamas. By Quintin Soloviev - Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=192642727
1706 CE
Republic of Pirates formed
Pirates establish a self-governing republic in Nassau, making the Bahamas a notorious base for privateers and buccaneers. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
The Flying Gang was the group of famous ex-privateers turned outlaw pirates. They made their home at the pirate haven of Nassau on the unpopulated island of New Providence in the Bahamas. The gang all used the same Death's Head flag while some members flew an addition or variation of the same flag. Members included: Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, Stede Bonnet, Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy, John "Calico Jack" Rackham, Edward England, Charles Vane, John Martel, Josiah Burgess, John Cockram, William Lewis, Richard Worley, Benjamin Hornigold, Paulsgrave Williams, Henry Jennings, Oliver "La Buse" Levasseur, Mary Read, Anne Bonny, Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts, Captain Kennedy and John Taylor. By RootOfAllLight - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89224813
Jul 26, 1718 CE
Rogers restores order
Woodes Rogers arrives as first Royal Governor, driving out pirates and re-establishing British authority over the Bahamas. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Woodes Rogers, former Pirate, Governor of the Bahamas. The son of the Governor presents his father to the right with plans for the port of Nassau. By William Hogarth - http://www.nmmprints.com/image/394352/william-hogarth-woodes-rogers-and-his-family, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=134741
1720 CE
Spanish attack Nassau
Spanish forces attack Nassau during the War of the Quadruple Alliance but are repelled by the colonial militia. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Flag of the Bahamas By Government of Bahamas - Own work. This vector image was generated programmatically from geometry defined in File:Flag of the Bahamas (construction sheet).svg., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=344732
Mar 3, 1776 CE
Americans raid Nassau
Continental Navy forces capture Nassau in a raid during the American Revolution, seizing gunpowder and supplies. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Flag of the Bahamas By Government of Bahamas - Own work. This vector image was generated programmatically from geometry defined in File:Flag of the Bahamas (construction sheet).svg., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=344732
1782 CE
Spanish capture Bahamas
Spanish forces under Bernardo de Gálvez capture the Bahamas from the British during the American Revolutionary War. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Spanish capture Bahamas By Unknown author, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66726
1783 CE
Britain regains Bahamas
The Treaty of Paris returns the Bahamas to British control, ending the brief Spanish occupation. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
First page of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which forced Britain to recognise the United States as a country. By iDK - This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=115507932
1784 CE
Loyalists arrive in numbers
Thousands of American Loyalists and their enslaved Africans arrive in the Bahamas after the Revolutionary War, transforming the population. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
This is the Flag of the en:United Empire Loyalists (UEL); it's based off of the 1801 Union flag. This is not a duplicate or copy of Image:Union flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg due to the fact that the uEL uses the 1606 Union flag to symbolise fact this was the flag they used when they left the 13 colonies for what became Canada in 1776. [1] In uploading the PNG version of this flag, User:QuartierLatin1968 writes: Strictly speaking, this image is not redundant to Image:Union flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg, because it is in the proportions 1:2 rather than 2:3. The proportions 1:2 would be anachronistic for the 18th century, but they're the ones widely in use today in Loyalist towns in Canada, such as Picton or Adolphustown. The colors are from the web banner hosted by United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada By Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Hoshie. This applies worldwide. In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so: Hoshie grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law. - Own work, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1383066
1807 CE
Slave trade abolished
Britain abolishes the transatlantic slave trade, though slavery itself continues in the Bahamas until full emancipation. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1816 used by King George III “ Quarterly, First and Fourth Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or armed and langued Azure (for England), Second quarter Or a lion rampant within a double tressure flory counter-flory Gules (for Scotland), Third quarter Azure a harp Or stringed Argent (for Ireland), over all an inescutcheon, ensigned by the Electoral Cap or bonnet, Tierced per pale and per chevron, First Gules two lions passant guardant Or (for Brunswick), Second Or semée of hearts Gules a lion rampant Azure (For Luneburg), Third Gules a horse courant Argent (For Hanover), an inescutcheon over all three, Gules the Crown of Charlemagne Proper (As Archtreasurer of the Holy Roman Empire), the whole surrounded by the Garter; for a Crest, upon the Royal helm the imperial crown Proper, thereon a lion statant guardant Or imperially crowned Proper; Mantling Or and ermine; for Supporters, dexter a lion rampant guardant Or crowned as the Crest, sinister a unicorn Argent armed, crined and unguled Proper, gorged with a coronet Or composed of crosses patée and fleurs de lys a chain affixed thereto passing between the forelegs and reflexed over the back also Or; Motto 'Dieu et mon Droit' in the compartment below the shield, with the Union rose, shamrock and thistle engrafted on the same stem. ” PINCHES, J.H & R.V., The Royal Heraldry of England, 1974, Heraldry Today. By Sodacan - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10952362
Aug 1, 1834 CE
Slavery abolished
Slavery is abolished throughout the British Empire, freeing approximately 10,000 enslaved people in the Bahamas. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom from 1816 to 1837 used by King George III, George IV and William IV “ Quarterly, First and Fourth Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or armed and langued Azure (for England), Second quarter Or a lion rampant within a double tressure flory counter-flory Gules (for Scotland), Third quarter Azure a harp Or stringed Argent (for Ireland), over all an inescutcheon, ensigned by an arched royal crown, Tierced per pale and per chevron, First Gules two lions passant guardant Or (for Brunswick), Second Or semée of hearts Gules a lion rampant Azure (For Luneburg), Third Gules a horse courant Argent (For Hanover), an inescutcheon over all three, Gules the Crown of Charlemagne Proper (As Archtreasurer of the Holy Roman Empire), the whole surrounded by the Garter; for a Crest, upon the Royal helm the imperial crown Proper, thereon a lion statant guardant Or imperially crowned Proper; Mantling Or and ermine; for Supporters, dexter a lion rampant guardant Or crowned as the Crest, sinister a unicorn Argent armed, crined and unguled Proper, gorged with a coronet Or composed of crosses patée and fleurs de lys a chain affixed thereto passing between the forelegs and reflexed over the back also Or; Motto 'Dieu et mon Droit' in the compartment below the shield, with the Union rose, shamrock and thistle engrafted on the same stem. ” PINCHES, J.H & R.V., The Royal Heraldry of England, 1974, Heraldry Today. By Sodacan - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10952335
1838 CE
Apprenticeship system ends
The transitional apprenticeship period ends, granting full freedom to formerly enslaved Bahamians. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Flag of the Bahamas By Government of Bahamas - Own work. This vector image was generated programmatically from geometry defined in File:Flag of the Bahamas (construction sheet).svg., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=344732
1861 CE
Civil War blockade running
Bahamian ports become key bases for blockade runners supplying the Confederacy during the American Civil War, boosting the economy. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Flag of the Bahamas By Government of Bahamas - Own work. This vector image was generated programmatically from geometry defined in File:Flag of the Bahamas (construction sheet).svg., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=344732
1929 CE
Great Hurricane devastates islands
A powerful hurricane strikes Nassau and surrounding islands, causing extensive damage and loss of life. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Synoptic weather map of the hurricane at peak intensity over the Bahamas on September 25, 1929. By NOAA Library - https://library.noaa.gov/weather-climate/synoptic-map, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=174249987
1940 CE
Duke of Windsor appointed governor
The former King Edward VIII is appointed Governor of the Bahamas, serving during World War II. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Original caption: "H.R.H. The Prince of Wales. No. 4." By Freeland Studio - This file has been provided by the British Library from its digital collections. Links to the British Library's website may be broken as the library recovers from a October 2023 cyber attack, and will be updated once material becomes accessible online. For more information on the attack see: https://www.bl.uk/about/cyber-attack It is also made available on a British Library website. Catalogue entry: HS85/10/36416, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26750635
Jun 1, 1942 CE
Burma Road riot erupts
Bahamian workers riot in Nassau demanding better wages and working conditions, a pivotal moment in the labor movement. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Flag of the Bahamas By Government of Bahamas - Own work. This vector image was generated programmatically from geometry defined in File:Flag of the Bahamas (construction sheet).svg., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=344732
1953 CE
First political party formed
The Progressive Liberal Party is founded, becoming the first organized political party in the Bahamas and championing majority rule. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Flag of the Bahamas By Government of Bahamas - Own work. This vector image was generated programmatically from geometry defined in File:Flag of the Bahamas (construction sheet).svg., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=344732
Jan 7, 1964 CE
Self-government achieved
The Bahamas gains internal self-government with a new constitution, though Britain retains control of defense and foreign affairs. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Flag of the Bahamas By Government of Bahamas - Own work. This vector image was generated programmatically from geometry defined in File:Flag of the Bahamas (construction sheet).svg., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=344732
Jan 10, 1967 CE
Majority rule achieved
The PLP wins a majority in the House of Assembly, marking the first time black Bahamians hold political power. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Coat of arms of the Bahamas, mantling doubled argent (white) By Autor of SVG image: Ivangricenko - Own work, https://laws.bahamas.gov.bs/cms/images/LEGISLATION/PRINCIPAL/1973/1973-0020/1973-0020_1.pdf, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11247166
Jul 10, 1973 CE
Bahamas gains independence
The Bahamas becomes a fully independent nation within the Commonwealth, with Lynden Pindling as first Prime Minister. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Flag of the Bahamas By Government of Bahamas - Own work. This vector image was generated programmatically from geometry defined in File:Flag of the Bahamas (construction sheet).svg., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=344732
1980 CE
Drug trafficking era peaks
The Bahamas becomes a major transit point for Colombian drug cartels smuggling cocaine into the United States during the 1980s. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Flag of the Bahamas By Government of Bahamas - Own work. This vector image was generated programmatically from geometry defined in File:Flag of the Bahamas (construction sheet).svg., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=344732
Aug 19, 1992 CE
FNM wins election
The Free National Movement led by Hubert Ingraham defeats the PLP, ending 25 years of PLP rule. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Coat of arms of the Bahamas, mantling doubled argent (white) By Autor of SVG image: Ivangricenko - Own work, https://laws.bahamas.gov.bs/cms/images/LEGISLATION/PRINCIPAL/1973/1973-0020/1973-0020_1.pdf, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11247166
1999 CE
Hurricane Floyd strikes
Hurricane Floyd causes massive damage across several Bahamian islands, destroying homes and infrastructure. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
Hurricane Floyd at peak intensity on September 13, 1999 By NOAA CLASS - https://www.bou.class.noaa.gov/saa/products/welcome, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77042968
2004 CE
Hurricane Frances hits islands
Hurricane Frances causes widespread damage across the Bahamas, followed shortly by Hurricane Jeanne. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
The MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of Hurricane Frances on August 31, 2004 at 17:55 UTC (1:55 PM EDT). At the time this image was taken Frances was located approximately 230 km (140 miles) north-northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico and was moving towards the west near 26 km/hr (16 mph). Maximum sustained winds were near 225 km/hr (140 mph) and the storm's minimum central pressure was down to 942 millibars. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions and formats. By Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC - http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_rec.php?id=6584, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=752839
Sep 1, 2019 CE
Hurricane Dorian devastates
Category 5 Hurricane Dorian devastates Abaco and Grand Bahama, causing billions in damage and dozens of deaths. Source — Wikipedia, "Bahamas":
This true-color image of Hurricane Dorian was captured on September 1, 2019, at 12:41 P.M. AST (16:41 UTC), by the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument flying aboard NOAA's GOES 16 satellite. Dorian was a destructive and extremely powerful hurricane during the slightly above average 2019 Atlantic hurricane season. Dorian would go on and stall over the Bahamas on the day this image was taken into the next day. It would also make landfall in North Carolina and Atlantic Canada days later. When this was captured, Dorian was making landfall in Grand Abaco Island, Bahamas at its peak intensity as a catastrophic Category 5 major hurricane, with winds of 185 mph (298 km/h) (160 knots) on the 1-min Saffir-Simpson scale and had a minimum central pressure of 910 mbar (26.9 inHg). By ABI imagery from NOAA'S GOES-16 Satellite - AWS S3 Explorer, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=153385501
![This is the Flag of the en:United Empire Loyalists (UEL); it's based off of the 1801 Union flag. This is not a duplicate or copy of Image:Union flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg due to the fact that the uEL uses the 1606 Union flag to symbolise fact this was the flag they used when they left the 13 colonies for what became Canada in 1776. [1] In uploading the PNG version of this flag, User:QuartierLatin1968 writes: Strictly speaking, this image is not redundant to Image:Union flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg, because it is in the proportions 1:2 rather than 2:3. The proportions 1:2 would be anachronistic for the 18th century, but they're the ones widely in use today in Loyalist towns in Canada, such as Picton or Adolphustown. The colors are from the web banner hosted by United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Flag_of_the_United_Empire_Loyalists.svg/500px-Flag_of_the_United_Empire_Loyalists.svg.png)
