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Civil War in the Bahamas.
From 1861 until 1865, the boom and bust economy of The Islands Of The
Bahamas benefited greatly from the U.S. Civil War. Great Britain's
textile industry depended on Southern cotton, so it favored the
Confederacy. However, British ships could not reach Southern ports
because the Union blockaded them.
Thus, blockade runners in sleek, fast boats would travel the 560 miles
from Charleston to Nassau with loads of cotton. Here, they would meet up
with British vessels and would trade their cotton for goods the British
carried. Returning to Charleston, the blockade runners would sell their
shipments for huge profits.
The end of the Civil War meant the end of prosperity for The Islands Of
The Bahamas until 1919. When the United States passed the 14th Amendment
prohibiting alcohol, smuggling returned to the islands. Scotch whisky
was an important British export for The Islands Of The Bahamas, so the
colonial government greatly expanded Prince George Wharf in Nassau to
accommodate the huge flow of alcohol.
However, Prohibition ended in 1934 and with it the enormous revenues
that poured into the country. The end of Prohibition, combined with the
collapse of the profitable sponge harvesting industry a few years later,
was economically devastating to The Islands Of The Bahamas.
The History of the Bahamas.
There are many
things to talk about when inquiring about
Bahamas History. We have chose a few of the most popular topics.
Click any of the below names to be directed to a detail of that section.
We hope you find this information useful and hope you choose us for
your one of your next cruises to the Bahamas. Remember that we
specialize in Bahamas Cruises.
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