Lying just 90 kilometres off the coast of Florida, Grand Bahama is the fourth
largest, and one of the northernmost, islands of the Bahamas. The Spanish claimed
this island after its discovery by Christopher Columbus in 1492, however showed
little interest in it except as a resource for slaves. Due to the perilous shallow
reefs that surround the island, few ships landed here. The few residents from
this period even occasionally took to the art of wrecking, luring ships onto
the reefs then scavenging the ships for supplies.
When the British took control of the Bahamas in 1670, the population of Grand
Bahama Island began to grow. With the development of townships, pirates began
to make their presence felt, using Grand Bahama Island as a base and once again
taking advantage of the dangerous reefs. With the abolition of slavery in 1834,
former slaves were granted the right to claim any uninhabited land on the island.
This led to the establishment of towns such as Pinder’s Point, Russell
Town, and Williams Town.
Another reason for the sudden increase in the population and prosperity was
the American Civil War. Smugglers again took over the island, charging hefty
prices for sugar, cotton, and weapons to the nearby Confederate States of America.
Later, during the American prohibition, Grand Bahama’s inhabitants yet
again reaped the profits, smuggling alcohol into the USA. Contemporary development
did not really begin, however, until the 1955 establishment of Freeport. The
Lucayan Harbour was constructed by shipping tycoon D.K. Ludwig, and Canadian
Louis Chesler developed the tourist centre of Lucaya in 1962. Today, Grand Bahama
Island’s economy is firmly based on tourism.
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