The Eleutheran Adventurers were a group of English Puritans and religious Independents who left Bermuda to settle on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas in the late 1640s.

Why did the Eleutheran Adventurers come to the Bahamas?

English Puritans known as "Eleutheran Adventurers" arrived here in 1649 in search of religious freedom. Instead, they found food shortages. Captain William Sayle sailed to the American colonies for help and received supplies from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Did the Eleutheran Adventurers have slaves?

Instead of the name Bahamas, the Adventurers had chosen the name “Eleutheria” (later shortened to Eleuthera) from a Greek word meaning freedom. ... In early 1648 about 70 people including 28 slaves, set out for the Bahamas in the William and a small boat of only six tons.

What was the religion of the Eleutheran Adventurers?

These first settlers would come to be known as the ELEUTHERAN ADVENTURERS. William Sayle was a Puritan as was those who followed him. They wanted a land where they could practice their Puritan faith freely without the control of the king of England hanging over them.

Who was Captain Sayle?

Captain William Sayle (c. 1590–1671) was a prominent British landholder who was Governor of Bermuda in 1643 and again in 1658.

The Eleutheran Adventurers

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What happened to the Eleutheran Adventurers?

The adventurers found their way ashore and took refuge in what was later called Preacher's Cave, where a religious service was held every year for the next 100 years on the anniversary in thankfulness for their survival. However, although the settlers had shelter, they had lost their provisions so they had no food.

Which island was known as Sayle island?

After 1500 the Bahamas was virtually deserted until English puritans from Bermuda arrived on the island of Eleuthera in the mid-1600s, led by a former Bermuda governor named William Sayle.

Who are native Bahamians?

The original inhabitants of the Bahamas were indigenous Taino (Arawak) who are also known as Lucayan. They originated from both Hispaniola (today Dominican Republic) and Cuba and migrated by canoe into the Bahamas, settling the entire archipelago by the 12th century of the Current Era.

Are the Bahamas British?

Formerly a British colony, The Bahamas became an independent country within the Commonwealth in 1973. ... Their strategic location has given the history of The Bahamas a unique and often striking character. It was there that Christopher Columbus made his original landfall in the Americas.

What is the meaning of Eleuthera?

"Eleuthera" derives from the feminine form of the Greek adjective ἐλεύθερος (eleútheros), meaning "free". Known in the 17th century as Cigateo, it lies 80 km (50 miles) east of Nassau. It is long and thin—180 km (110 miles) long and in places little more than 1.6 km (1.0 mile) wide.

What religion took root in Bermuda by the 1640s?

By the 1640's, there was a major religious conflict in England that resulted in the English Civil War (1642) and King Charles I (1649). The root of the problem was that a group of people wanted to worship in a different religion than what they practiced in the English church, Anglican. This group was known as Puritans.

Which country owns the Bahamas?

The Bahamas is an independent country. It was formerly a British Territory for 325 years. It became independent in 1973 and joined the United Nations during the same year. Despite its proximity to the United States, at no point was the Bahamas ever a U.S. territory.

Was Nassau a real place?

Nassau (/ˈnæsɔː/ NASS-aw) is the capital and largest city of The Bahamas. With a population of 274,400 as of 2016, or just over 70% of the entire population of The Bahamas (≈391,000), Nassau is commonly defined as a primate city, dwarfing all other towns in the country.

Were there pirates in Nassau?

The Ascendance of Benjamin Hornigold

It was Hornigold who declared Nassau a Pirate's Republic. At the time there were about 100 locals in the port town and roughly 1,000 pirates, and dozens of surrounding secluded cays provided the perfect home base for pirates looking to ravage the Caribbean.

What is Eleuthera Bahamas known for?

Eleuthera is known for the high cliffs that fringe the eastern side of the island, where the Atlantic Ocean crashes onto the rock. ... One of the most popular spots is Harbour Island, famous for its pink and white sand beaches. Harbour Island often is called the Nantucket of the Caribbean.

What island did Columbus land on?

On October 12, 1492, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus made landfall in what is now the Bahamas. Columbus and his ships landed on an island that the native Lucayan people called Guanahani. Columbus renamed it San Salvador.

Where did the Lucayans migrate from?

The Lucayans were a peaceful group of people whom Columbus discovered in The Bahamas. They came to The Bahamas from South America. They migrated north, making the voyage from one island to another in dugout canoes.

Who did Bahamas gain independence from?

The Bahamas gained independence on 10 July 1973 ending 325 years of peaceful British rule.

What was the name of the Lucayans chief?

The Lucayans, the first Bahamians, established settlements in which land and resources were largely shared. The leader of these settlements was called the Cacique; thus, he was the chief mediator of disputes and settlement-wide decisions.

Which island in The Bahamas is the most southern?

Inagua—pristine and largely uninhabited, the southernmost island in The Bahamas. A paradise for bird watchers and ecotourists.

What is the largest body of water in The Bahamas?

Lake Rosa, also known as Lake Windsor, is a huge 12-mile (19 km) long hyper saline interior wetland that occupies nearly 1/4 of the 184,000-acre Inagua National Park. It is the largest salt water lake in The Bahamas.