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The first noted settlers of the Grand Bahama Island was the Siboney Indians who lived off conch and fishing. What we know about them is based on the items of shells and jewelry they left... |
The first noted settlers of the Grand Bahama Island was the Siboney Indians who lived off conch and fishing. What we know about them is based on the items of shells and jewelry they left behind. Their remains tell us they lived as early as 7,000 years ago, but seem to have disappeared when the Lucayans replaced them. The Lucayans, also known as the Arawaks, were a large group of tribes who managed to work their way from South America between 5,000 and 7,000 years ago. In 1492 when Christopher Columbus first made his trek across the ocean, his first stop was on San Salvador one of the islands of the Bahamas, there were about 40,000 of the Lucayans living on the islands then and about 4,000 on the Grand Bahama Island. Very little is known about Lucayans because of their rapid extermination by the Spanish shortly after the arrival of Columbus. Some believe they had a political and social structure, and lived in well-organized cities. In the caves of the Lucayan National Park skulls and artifacts have been found along with a new archeological site’s most recent discovery of hearths, animal bones, pottery pieces, and shell beads uncovered near Deadman’s Reef.
After Spain claimed the island in 1402, there were not many footprints to be seen on the beaches of Grand Bahama Island. The Lucayans were forced into slavery by the Spaniards and were taken to the gold and silver mines of Hispanola and Cuba and the pearl fisheries of Margarita near Trinidad. The Spaniards called the island “Gran Bajamar” meaning great shallows. This term became the beginning for the Islands of the Bahamas later on.
After taking all of its inhabitants the Spaniards seemed to completely ignore Grand Bahama Island. An occasional ship would anchor, scavenge a few provisions and leave for Europe or South America. The island was viewed to be dangerous because of the hazardous shallow reefs, which surrounds the islands. Many ships would collide with the reefs salvaging from the wreckage became a major livelihood for the few remaining inhabitants who lived at the West End. It was not uncommon for the townspeople to lure ships onto the reef with a well-placed lantern at night when times were tough and they were in need of supplies.
Great Britain laid claim to the Islands of the Bahamas in 1670, after the colonist left Bermuda for the island of Eleuthera looking for religious independence. Soon others followed and after a time there were other ports and colonies slowly developing. The pirates and privateers soon followed. Infamous pirates like Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, and Henry Morgan probably knew Grand Bahama very well because its reefs were ideal running ships aground, which was a common pirate tactic.
By 1720, Great Britain has succeeded in taking control of the pirates and the island probably experienced a drop in visitors than what it had during the years of piracy. It took history 200 years to catch up with the Islands of the Bahamas again.