In 1629, King Charles granted the territories of “Bahama and all other Isles and Islands lying southerly there or neare upon the foresayd continent.”[1] to attorney general Robert Heath.

[1] Their initial attempts to establish a sustainable colony faced challenges, including scarce resources and conflicts with the Spanish.

The remaining settlers founded communities on Harbour Island and Saint George's Cay (Spanish Wells) at the north end of Eleuthera.

[1] Lords proprietors, whom King Charles II had granted the colony of South Carolina on the American mainland, grew interested in the prospects of the Bahamas.

King George appointed Rogers to oversee the execution of a proclamation granting a pardon to any pirate who surrendered to a British crown within one year.

Its location along transatlantic trade routes made it a valuable asset, while its economy relied on maritime activities, including fishing, shipbuilding, and salt production.

The introduction of enslaved Africans underpinned the development of plantation agriculture, particularly cotton, though the islands' poor soil limited large-scale success.

[1] After the revolution, many loyalist American colonists settled in the Bahamas due to favourable living conditions offered by the crown.

[6] Cotton plantations were established, and yielded well briefly, but were soon exhausted due to soil quality and insect pests.

Former slaves in the Bahamas faced limited economic opportunities but gradually built communities centered around fishing, farming, and small-scale trade.

The Bahamian Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), formed in 1953, championed the rights of the predominantly Black majority, challenging the political dominance of the White merchant elite.

[1] Pindling, leader of the PLP, played a central role in advocating for greater autonomy and addressing social inequalities.

The British monarch remained the ceremonial head of state, represented by a Governor-General, while the Bahamas established its own parliamentary democracy.