Bahamas — books & literature

The story of Bahamas

The Bahamas' story begins with the Lucayans, a Taino people who settled the islands from around 700-1000 CE and lived there for centuries before Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the Americas at San Salvador in October 1492 , an encounter that led to the Lucayans' complete enslavement and disappearance within a few decades. The islands lay largely empty until English Puritan settlers, the Eleutheran Adventurers, arrived in 1648 seeking religious freedom. In the early 1700s Nassau became a lawless haven for pirates, including Blackbeard, until Britain's first royal governor, Woodes Rogers, restored order around 1718. The Bahamas became a formal British Crown Colony, grew after Loyalist settlers arrived following the American Revolution, and abolished slavery in 1834. It remained under British rule until 10 July 1973, when it became an independent nation within the Commonwealth under its first prime minister, Sir Lynden Pindling. Today the Bahamas is a 700-island archipelago whose economy and culture are built on tourism, seafaring tradition, and a distinct Bahamian identity.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 700-1000

   Lucayan (Taino) people begin settling the Bahamian islands.

2. 1492

   Christopher Columbus makes his first landfall in the Americas at San Salvador (12 October).

3. 1648

   The Eleutheran Adventurers, English Puritan settlers, found a colony on Eleuthera.

4. circa 1716-1718

   Nassau becomes a pirate stronghold, home to Blackbeard and others ("Republic of Pirates").

5. 1718

   Woodes Rogers arrives as the first royal governor and expels the pirates.

6. 1783

   Bahamas formally becomes a British Crown Colony; Loyalist settlers arrive after the American Revolution.

7. 1834

   Slavery abolished throughout the British Empire, including the Bahamas (1 August).

8. 1973

   Independence from the United Kingdom under first Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling (10 July).

Top 10 things to know about Bahamas

1. The Bahamas is made up of about 700 islands and cays, but only around 30 are inhabited.
2. Nassau, the capital, sits on the small island of New Providence.
3. The Bahamian dollar is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar, and both currencies circulate side by side.
4. Columbus made his first landfall in the Americas at San Salvador Island in 1492.
5. In the early 1700s, Nassau was a notorious pirate haven known as the "Republic of Pirates."
6. The national motto is "Forward, Upward, Onward Together."
7. Junkanoo, a costumed street parade with music and dance, is the Bahamas' signature celebration.
8. Dean's Blue Hole, near Long Island, is one of the deepest known blue holes in the world.
9. Sidney Poitier, the first Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, was raised in the Bahamas.
10. English is the official language, though most Bahamians speak Bahamian Dialect at home.

Famous people from Bahamas

Say it in Bahamas's language

Did you know?

• ★Blackbeard the pirate used Nassau as his base of operations around 1716-1718, before royal governor Woodes Rogers restored order.
• ★The Bahamian flag's aquamarine, gold, and black stand for the sea, the sun, and the strength and unity of the people.
• ★Dean's Blue Hole on Long Island plunges more than 200 metres (about 663 feet), making it one of the deepest blue holes on Earth.

Bahamas culture

• Junkanoo, a parade of elaborate costumes, music, and dance, is held every Boxing Day and New Year's Day and is the country's defining cultural event.
• Rake-and-scrape, a homegrown folk music style played on a handsaw, goatskin drum, and accordion, is a Bahamian original.
• Conch , cracked, in salad, or as fritters , is treated as a national dish and a point of island pride.
• Straw work, weaving palm fronds into hats, bags, and baskets, is a traditional craft sold across the islands' straw markets.

Why read Bahamas's books

Bahamian literature is young but distinct , most of it written since the 1960s wave of social and political change , carrying the voices of a nation of islands into poetry, folklore, and reflection. Reading the Bahamas' books is a way into that emerging shelf.