The Lucayan Era in the Bahamas.

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Lucayan Era in the Bahamas.

Recent archaeological digs indicate people lived in The Islands Of The Bahamas as early as 300 to 400 AD. These people probably came from Cuba and relied on the ocean for their food.

In the 10th century, Lucayan Indians -- a subgroup of the Arawaks – settled in The Islands Of The Bahamas. The Lucayans had left the Lesser Antilles to avoid their enemies, the Carib Indians, who were known to be fierce warriors and cannibals. A peaceful group, the Lucayans were farmers who lived in thatch huts, used stone tools and made their own pottery. They were politically, socially and religiously advanced.

When Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492 on San Salvador (some historians think he landed on Cat Island), there were about 40,000 Lucayans living in The Islands Of The Bahamas. Taking advantage of the people’s gentle nature, he enslaved them three years later and shipped them off to Hispaniola to work in his mines. Slavery, disease and other hardships wiped out the entire tribe within 25 years of Columbus’ arrival.

• Bahamas Cruises

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.

• Lucayan Era

• First Settlement

• Age of Piracy

• The Loyalists

• Civil War

• Tourism

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.