Tema Variado

University of Puerto Rico
Carolina Campus
English
 
 
 
 
  
The Pirates Republic
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Karialis C. Matos Matos
February 5,2013
INGL3104-M03
Prof. Graham
The historyof The Bahamas was shaped by European settlers, slavery, tourism and piracy.
History has left a mark on The Bahamas. Spain conquered The Bahamas and converted it into an
island with industries.They also brought slaves from Africa to work the land. In the 19th century
The Bahamas had little tourism because most of the people who visited were either merchants or
pirates.

The firstsettlers were the Lucayans. They came from the lineage of the Arawakan speaking
Tainos. The first Spanish explorer that came to The Bahamas was Christopher Columbus in
1492. The Bahamas soon came intoconflict with the Spaniards over the salvaging of ship
wrecks, because the Bahamians that wrecked drove away the Spaniards who came to help them
and even attacked them. In 1684, the Spaniards burnedthe settlements of New Providence and
Eleuthera which were largely abandoned. Henry Every a pirate that arrived in 1696, presented
himself as Henry Bridgeman. He came with his ship named "Fancy"loaded with loot into the
Nassau harbor. Henry gave the governor Nicholas Trott with silver and gold, also he left him his
boat "Fancy" still loaded with 50 tons of elephant tusk and 100 barrelsof gun powder. Henry
gave the governor this ti bride him so that he could stay in The Bahamas. Following peace with
France in 1676, the privateers became the pirates. From this time the piratesmade the Bahamian
capitol Nassau their base in 1694. Some settlers left the properties and gave up on governing The
Bahamas. The pirates also started bringing in slaves from other countries. That iswhen the "The
Privateers Republic" became known as "The Pirates Republic." 

The Spaniards enslaved the entire Lucayan population.  Many had died due to hardships and
diseases. The Portuguese...