The Bahamas: British Crown Colony 1718-1973, Then Independent

Yes — the Bahamas was under British control for 255 years before independence.

Colonial Timeline

• 1492: Columbus lands (San Salvador) — Spanish claim, no settlement
• 1648: Eleutheran Adventurers (English Puritans) settle Eleuthera
• 1670: Charles II grants Bahamas to Lords Proprietors of Carolina
• 1718: Crown Colony established — Woodes Rogers appointed Royal Governor; piracy suppressed
• 1776-1783: Loyalist influx (6,000+) from US Revolution — cotton, slaves
• 1834: Slavery abolished
• 1964: Internal self-government
• 1973 July 10: Independence — Commonwealth realm, Queen Elizabeth II as monarch

Strategic Value

• Location: Florida Strait gateway, Gulf Stream, US proximity
• WWII: RAF/US bases (Oakes Field, Windsor Field) — anti-sub, transit
• Cold War: AUTEC (US underwater testing), listening posts
• Finance: Tax haven, banking secrecy (post-1960s)

Post-Independence

• Parliamentary democracy (Westminster)
• Tourism (7M+ visitors/yr) + financial services = twin pillars
• Challenges: hurricane vulnerability, climate change, crime, corruption
• CARICOM, Commonwealth, OAS, UN member

The Bahamas: British for 255 years, sovereign since 1973 — but the Queen's portrait still on the $10 bill.