| Bahamas | |
 | |
| Continent | North America |
| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Population | Pirates British citizens Slaves Maroons |
| Affiliation | Pirate Republic/British Empire/Maroons |
The Bahamas is an archipelago of islands to the north of Cuba and Hispaniola, and southeast of Florida. Notable islands include, New Providence Island with its largest port of Nassau, and Eleuthera island fifty miles to the east, with it neighbouring Harbour Island. However, there are over 30 inhabitable islands in total. In the early eighteenth century, Nassau became the haven for pirates, while other smaller islands became refuges for escaped slave communities.
Geography[]
The archipelago consists of nearly 700 islands, cays and islets. British settlements exist in Abaco in the north and Inagua in the south.
New Providence Island is relatively located, and is home to the large port of Nassau, which has become a pirate den. Harbour Island is 40 miles away, and still a legitimate port.
Notable uncharted islands include Albinus' Island, home to a former pirate captain's timber business, and the Maroon Island, which is home to over 1,000 escaped slaves.
People[]
The Bahamas are one of the more heterogeneous British colonies, largely due to the fact that British hold on it is tenuous at best. Many groups that inhabit the Bahamas have no alleigance to the Empire whatsoever. These include the pirates of Nassau, the community of Maroons and Albinus and his Baymen.
Those that do still swear alleigance to the crown, such as the communities in Harbour Island, Abaco and the interior of New Providence Island, largely consist of sugar plantations, with large numbers of African slaves to do the work.
History[]
Background[]
The Bahamas were originally inhabited by a group of Arawak Indians known as Lucayan. Originally from the South American continent, some of the Arawak had been driven north into the Caribbean by the Carib Indians. Unlike their Carib neighbours, the Lucayan were generally peaceful, more involved in fishing than agriculture, and not cannibalistic.
When Columbus reached the New World in 1492, he is thought to have landed on San Salvador or possibly Samana Cay, both in the Bahamas. The Spaniards made no attempt to settle but operated slave raids on the peaceful Arawak that depopulated the islands. By the time the English arrived, the Bahamas were uninhabited.
In 1629, Charles I of England granted the islands to one of his ministers, but no attempt at settlement was made. In 1648, William Sayle led a group of English Puritans from Bermuda to, it is thought, Eleuthera Island. This settlement met with extreme adversity and did not prosper, but other Bermudan migrants continued to arrive. New Providence was settled in 1656. By 1670 the Bahamas were given to the Duke of Albemarle and seven others as a proprietary colony along with Carolina. The proprietors were mostly uninterested in the islands, and few of the settlements prospered. Piracy became a way of life for many.
When the earthquake destroyed Port Royal, Nassau, on the island of New Providence became more important as a pirate hide out. With the end of the Queen Anne's War and the peace that followed, Great Britain started to crack down on piracy but for awhile the Bahamas remained relatively ignored.
Recent History[]
In the early 1700s, Richard Guthrie moves with his wife and daughter Eleanor Guthrie to Nassau, and begins selling the pirates' plunder disguised as cargo aboard the ships of the Guthrie Trading Company[1].
In 1705, during Queen Anne's War, Lord Thomas Hamilton and Lieutenant James McGraw, are tasked by Lord Proprietor Alfred Hamilton with formulating a plan using the assistance of the Royal Navy. Their original plan is to use two men of war to launch a targeted raid on the beach and to arrest and hold trials for the pirate ringleaders. Thomas chooses to instead to propose to offer them Royal Pardons, which Lord Alfred vehemently opposes[2].
In 1706, the Governor of the Bahamas, Robert Thompson, was expelled from Nassau after the pirates killed his wife, Mrs. Thompson, and his son, for demanding more bribe money from them. Eventually, he has the plan destroyed, by informing Admiral Hennessey of James' and Thomas' affair. Thomas is sent to Bethlem Royal Hospital, a mental asylum, and McGraw and Thomas' wife Miranda are sent into exile. McGraw and Miranda go to Nassau, and McGraw becomes the pirate captain Flint[3].
At some point, the Spanish Empire grows so incensed at the theft of their cargo that they launch the Rosario Raids. They send 200 men to Nassau, which they burn to the ground before pillaging the interior as well. Eleanor's mother is killed in the raid, and Richard moves to Harbour Island, leaving Eleanor in the care of Mr. Scott. Over the next ten years, Nassau becomes a haven for piracy. Eleanor continues to manage her father's business in Nassau[4].
Season One[]
Her Majesty's Ship, the Scarborough, is sent from Boston to Harbour Island, in preparation of a first move against the pirates of Nassau. The captain attempts to arrest Richard Guthrie, but the attempt is foiled by Captain Flint.[5]
When Eleanor Guthrie learns of her father's arrest, she is shocked, knowing that he had been bribing the Lords Proprietor for years, and that they had agreed to make him Governor of the Bahamas. Later, while Richard is convalescing at the Barlow Estate, he sneaks into her room and finds a painting of Miranda Barlow alongside Thomas Hamilton. Richard later mentions that he knows she is Thomas' wife, who drove her husband to suicide by having an affair with his best friend, who Richard assumes to be Flint. He explains to Miranda that he used to have extensive dealings with Lord Proprietor Alfred Hamilton.[6]
Charles Vane sails to Albinus' Island, the base of Albinus and the Baymen. Vane challenges Albinus for control of the crew, and is able to kill his former owner. Vane then leads the Baymen in seizing Fort Nassau.[7]
Season Two[]
After learning that the Urca de Lima gold has been reclaimed by the Spanish, Flint shifts his plans to returning Abigail Ashe to her father, Lord Peter Ashe, governor of Carolina. Flint hopes that Ashe, an old friend of his, would then help them bring a proposal to Parliament in which the pirates are pardoned, Nassau returns to the British Empire, and the pirates get to choose their own governor[8].
Captain Benjamin Hornigold, Dufresne and eight coconspirators arrest Eleanor Guthrie and bring her to the Royal Navy garrison on Harbour Island. As reward, they are all granted a Royal Pardon by Captain Hume.[9]
After the Sack of Charles Town, Flint and his crew sail back to the Bahamas, and are blown east by the winds. John Silver wakes up from his stupor, and Flint informs him that they are just south of Inagua.[10]
Season Three[]
After the Lords Proprietor cede the Bahamas to the Crown, Woodes Rogers is appointed the first Royal Governor of New Providence Island[11]. He is authorized to offer the pirates a Royal Pardon. After some initial resistance offered by the Pirate Fleet, he is able to successfully pacify Nassau after their departure. The pirates surrender en masse, and Rogers moves into the old Governor’s Mansion.[12]
Season Four[]
Woodes Rogers purchases three ships cheaply from Abaco and scuttles them in the bay to block entry. The bulk of the Pirate Fleet is grounded on them during the Invasion of Nassau. Billy Bones had learned of this and had told Featherstone to relay the news to Flint, but the message was intercepted by Max.[13]
Jack Rackham travels to Philadelphia to try and convince Joseph Guthrie to purchase Rogers' debt in order to force him to default and therefore into a debtor's prison to avenge the death of Eleanor. He plans to convince him to do this by informing him that he could buy Nassau's valuable commercial property cheaply due to the state of ruin Nassau is in. When he arrives, Joseph says he understands that Jack has news from the Bahama Islands for him, and Jack tells him about Eleanor's death and offers his deal, but is rejected. However, his wife, Marion Guthrie, is interested. Marion and her man, Mr. Oliver, meet with Max and Jack, and Max brings her ledgers. After looking over the books, he asks Max about her lack of unpaid laborers. He says that given the extent of her operations, which include cargo, sugar transportation and building and all sorts of things that require manual laborer. He is astonished to learn that all her laborers are paid, for she owns no slaves. He remarks that it is unwise for her to have no slaves and pay for everything in the Bahamas. Max then explains that in Nassau, so many slaves have been freed and joined pirate crews that it would be unlikely that any would submit to slavery easily. She says that to pay for wages costs far less than paying to replace defectors or for guards. After Marion's prodding, Max also reveals that she was once a slave, and refuses to be either property or master[14].
After Rogers is defeated at the Battle at Skeleton Island, Marion, Jack and Max complete their deal. Augustus Featherstone is then named the next Royal Governor of New Providence Island, bringing an end to the Pirate-Maroon conflict[15].
Islands of the Bahamas[]
- Abaco Islands
- New Providence Island
- Albinus' Island
- Hog Island
- Harbour Island
- Maroon Island
- Inagua Islands