The Arawaks in the Bahamas

The Impact of European Discovery

First Migrants to the Americas First migrants

probably came down through Alaska from Asia

We are unsure but they probably came somewhere between 50,000 and 25,000 years ago.

They spread throughout the Americas

Migration into the Antilles The Arawak peoples of

modern day Venezuela used canoes to migrate into the Antilles about 500 – 300 BCE.

The people who lived in the Greater Antilles(Cuba) were called the Tainos.

The Bahamian Islands were settled fully by about 800 CE.

The peoples of the Bahamian islands were called the Lucayans.

Limits of our SourcesThe Arawak people did not keep

written sources.We must base all our

knowledge of them on artefacts that we discover or on written descriptions by the European explorers.

Can you think of any possible problems with these sources?

Columbus Diary "As I saw that they were very friendly to

us, and perceived that they could be much more easily converted to our holy faith by gentle means than by force, I presented them with some red caps, and strings of beads to wear upon the neck, and many other trifles of small value, wherewith they were much delighted, and became wonderfully attached to us. Afterwards they came swimming to the boats, bringing parrots, balls of cotton thread, javelins, and many other things which they exchanged for articles we gave them, such as glass beads, and hawk's bells

Columbus Diary They all go completely naked, even the women,

though I saw but one girl. All whom I saw were young, not above thirty years of age, well made, with fine shapes and faces; their hair short, and coarse like that of a horse's tail, combed toward the forehead, except a small portion which they suffer to hang down behind, and never cut. Some paint themselves with black, which makes them appear like those of the Canaries, neither black nor white; others with white, others with red, and others with such colors as they can find. Some paint the face, and some the whole body; others only the eyes, and others the nose. Weapons they have none, nor are acquainted with them, for I showed them swords which they grasped by the blades, and cut themselves through ignorance.

Early Spanish Settlers Nicolas de Ovando was

the governor who replaced Columbus.

He was told by Ferdinand and Isabella to treat the locals with respect and to convert them to Christianity.

Governors were called ‘Encomenderos’ or protectors???

The Encomienda

System

Tainos/Lucayans were forced to covert to Christianity, sometimes by using torture.

Encomenderos treated the locals very badly as they were too far away from Spain to be watched.

They became obsessed with Gold and forced locals to search for it even though there was not much of it there.

Locals were forced into slavery and made to grow food for the settlers without pay or decent rations.

Settlers introduced new pasture animals which destroyed the locals crops and fields.

Taino/Lucayan social structures and families were ripped apart by the settlers

Demise of the Taino and Lucayan cultures

The locals refused to accept their new society and many ran away or committed suicide.

The Europeans unknowingly introduced diseases such as smallpox and measles.

Many locals also starved due to their crops being destroyed.

It is estimated that as many as one million locals died as a result of the European colonization.

Words with an Arawak origin

Avocado Cannibal Iguana Cay Barbecue Maize Manatee

Canoe Hammock Potato Hurricane Tobacco Guava

Early Settlers in the Bahamas Once the local

populations had died off and it was obvious there was no gold to collect, the Spanish left the Bahamas completely deserted.

It was not until 1629 that the English claimed the islands because they were situated along important trade routes to the Americas.

Migration from Bermuda Puritans fleeing persecution in

Bermuda moved to the uninhabited island of Eleutheria, meaning ‘freedom’ in Greek.

They were led by William Sayle, an ex governor of Bermuda.

About 700 settlers left Bermuda on the ‘William’ in 1648 and established a colony.

Later in 1670 they moved to New Providence due to the better conditions for farming and a safe harbor.

The Proprietors This was a system where control

of the islands was given to governors by the British King who then sent taxes back to the Crown.

The Proprietors had total control over the laws of the islands.

Settlers signed a contract which said they would obey the laws of the land.

In exchange they could buy land on the island.

Success/Failures of the System

Successes

Failures

• Settlements were established on the islands

• Trade links were created with Americans colonies

• Base was created for Privateers

• Many Proprietors were deeply unpopular.

• They only looked after their own interests.

• Poor soil resulted in lack of farming

• Colonies only prospered in times of war.

A new group of people started to emerge.

Pirates!!

Why were there so many Pirates in the Caribbean?

Competition between Britain, France and Spain led them to hire private sailors to attack each others ships and trade routes.

It was cheaper than building their own navies

These private sailors became greedy and impossible to control.

Next topic:

Pirates of the

Caribbean