Commonwealth of the Bahamas
The Bahamas, 1718 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
The Bahamas became a crown colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1718 when the British clamped down on piracy. After the American Revolutionary War, the Crown resettled thousands of American Loyalists to the Bahamas; they took slaves with them and established plantations on land grants. The slave trade was abolished by the British in 1807, but slavery in the Bahamas was not abolished until 1834. The Bahamas became an independent Commonwealth realm separate from the United Kingdom in 1973.
Seat of power: Nassau
Rulers
George Phenney
Governor of the Bahamas, 1721–1728
George Phenney served as governor of the Bahama islands. In 1729 a local assembly was established giving a degree of self-governance for British settlers, and the reforms had been planned by the previous Governor George Phenney.
John Tinker
Governor of the Bahamas, 1741–1758
John Tinker was Royal Governor of the Bahama Islands from 1741 to 1758. His first priority was strengthening the island's military defences by building Fort Montagu at the entrance to Nassau Harbour. When funds for fortifications ran low and Bahamians were taxed to raise money, he had difficulties with his Assembly.
William Shirley
Governor of the Bahamas, 1760–1768
His rule was quiet, and dealing with smugglers in the islands was the major issue demanding the governor's attention. In part to combat illicit trade he lobbied the London government that Nassau be established as a free port. When he proposed the use of the stamps on official documents to the local assembly, the reaction in opposition was so visceral that Shirley dissolved the body.
Portrait of William Shirley: Thomas Hudson, Public domain, file
Sir Thomas Shirley, 1st Baronet
Governor of the Bahamas, 1768–1774
Sir Thomas Shirley was a British colonial governor and military officer. Shirley succeeded his father as Governor of the Bahamas in 1768, and was appointed Governor of Dominica in 1774.
John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore
Governor of the Bahamas, 1787–1796
From 1787 to 1796, Dunmore served as governor of the Bahamas. During his tenure as governor, the British issued land grants to American Loyalists who went into exile. Dunmore oversaw the construction of Fort Charlotte and Fort Fincastle in Nassau.
Portrait of John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore: Joshua Reynolds, Public domain, file
Charles Cameron
Governor of the Bahamas, 1804–1820
Charles Cameron was Civil Commissioner of Malta and then Governor of the Bahamas. He served as governor from 1804 until his resignation in 1820.
Lewis Grant
Governor of the Bahamas, 1821–1829
Lewis Grant was a British Army officer and colonial administrator in the Caribbean. Grant was then appointed Governor of the Bahamas in 1820, then Governor of Trinidad in 1829.
Francis Cockburn
Governor of the Bahamas, 1837–1844
Francis Cockburn was a British colonial administrator who served in the British Army. He served as superintendent of British Honduras from 1830 to 1837 and Governor of the Bahamas from 1837 to 1844. Cockburn Town, the largest settlement on San Salvador Island in the Bahamas, was named after him.
William Robinson
Governor of the Bahamas, 1874–1880
William Robinson was appointed Governor of Bahama Isles from 1874 to 1880. Robinson Road, a major thoroughfare in Nassau, Bahamas, is named after Sir William Robinson, during whose term it was laid out.
Portrait of William Robinson: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Ambrose Shea
Governor of the Bahamas, 1887–1895
When the governorship of the Bahamas became available, it was agreed to give Shea the position. He served there from October 1887 to December 1894, and was by all accounts a popular and respected figure.
Portrait of Ambrose Shea: User Magnus Manske on en.wikipedia, Public domain, file
Gilbert Thomas Carter
Governor of the Bahamas, 1898–1904
Carter was transferred to Bahamas as Governor and Commander-in-Chief in 1898. He later served as the Governor for The Bahamas and Barbados and finally as the Governor for Trinidad and Tobago.
Portrait of Gilbert Thomas Carter: Alexander Bassano, Public domain, file
William Grey-Wilson
Governor of the Bahamas, 1904–1912
Grey-Wilson was appointed Governor of the Bahamas on 7 May 1904. He served in the role until 1912. Grey-Wilson was known for his home inventions, including a contraption to allow chickens to let themselves into a coop and an automatic door system to remotely admit guests to his house.
Portrait of William Grey-Wilson: Walter Stoneman (Life time: 1876-1958), PD-US, file
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William Allardyce
Governor of the Bahamas, 1914–1920
Allardyce was a career British civil servant in the Colonial Office. Allardyce was transferred from the Falkland Islands to the Bahamas to become its governor, a position he held for six years.
Portrait of William Allardyce: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Elizabeth II
monarch of the Bahamas, 1973–2022
Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She reigned as a constitutional monarch through times of significant political change such as the decolonisation of Africa. Sir Milo Butler was appointed the first governor-general of the Bahamas (the official representative of Queen Elizabeth II) shortly after independence.
Portrait of Elizabeth II: Donald McKague, Public domain, file
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Charles III
monarch of the Bahamas, 2022 to today
Charles III is King of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles became king upon his mother's death in 2022. The Bahamas maintains King Charles III as its monarch, and the appointed representative of the Crown is the governor-general of the Bahamas.
Portrait of Charles III: White House, Public domain, file
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Culture
- The culture of the islands is a mixture of African, British and American.
- Junkanoo is a traditional Afro-Bahamian street parade of music, dance and art held in Nassau every Boxing Day, New Year's Day and Independence Day.
- In the Family Islands, handicrafts include basketry made from palm fronds.
- Regattas are important social events in many family island settlements. Sailing is the national sport and has been part of the national culture for many years.
Picture
Nassau is the capital and largest city of the Bahamas, on the island of New Providence.
Image: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, file
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Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.