Photo Tours

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Hog Island Lighthouse

     Historians believe the original inhabitants of the Bahamas were Meso-Indians who probably migrated there from the Greater Antilles. Centuries later Christopher Columbus reached the Island in early October 1492 where he found neo-Indian Arawaks or "Lucayans" believed to have migrated from South America.  Conquistadors following in Columbus' wake brought disease, enslavement and death. The Lucayans disappeared.

     In the mid 1600s English Puritans in search of religious freedom arrived. By the late 1600s New Providence Island and other Islands in the Bahamas chain were a haven for pirates and buccaneers. The Bahamas provided the perfect home for the looters...no laws , no government and close proximity to merchant shipping lanes. Treacherous and complex channels provided hiding places for pirates such as Edward (Blackbeard) Teach, Calico Jack Rackman, and Henry Morgan. Although not as famous as their male counterparts, two female pirates of fierce notoriety were Anne Bonny and Mary Reid. 

     The Islands also provided a great place to hide pirate treasures.  Treasure maps can still be found circulating...for a price of course. There was also an abundance of ships laden with silver and gold that sank during storms and hurricanes off  the coasts. Treasure hunting anyone?

     In 1695, following countless raids by the pirates on Spanish ships, Spain decided it had suffered enough and sent troops to New Providence Island and destroyed it's major port Charles Town (later renamed Nassau). However, many of the pirates managed to escape the Spaniards and continued their trade.

     England was not about to lose any more of their ships so in 1718  King George I  appointed a Captain Woodes Rogers as the Governor of the Bahamas with instructions to eliminate the pirates which he did with great zeal. As an added measure of security several forts were built. Nassau was regained by Spain  for a short time during the American Revolutionary war but was restored to Great Britain by treaty in 1783.  Soon after the treaty  British Loyalists emigrated to the Bahamas bringing with them their slaves. The slaves did not gain their freedom until 1838.

     During the next century the the Island's experienced a boom and bust economy due mainly to the Civil war and Great Britain's dependency on Southern cotton, prohibition of alcohol in the states and the collapse of the sponge industry.

     The Islands gained independence from Great Britain in 1973 and is now a member of the British commonwealth. Every two weeks there is a Changing of the Guards ceremony at the Government House. The Police Force Band performs and  the ceremony and is quite a photo opportunity. 

     Today  tourism provides almost one-half of the Island's economy.  When Cuba became off limits (1961) to American tourists looking for a good time the Islands saw their opportunity to capitalize and set out to increase luxury hotels, casinos, bars, breweries, shopping markets and a port large enough to accommodate six cruise ships at a time. You will not run out of places to see or things to do in Nassau. Continued on Page 3...