| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
Exuma was settled in or around 1783 by American loyalists fleeing the Revolutionary War. The expatriates brought a cotton plantation economy to the islands. George Town was named in honor of George III, to whom the settlers maintained their sovereignty.
Lord John Rolle , a major Loyalist settler of the Exumas, is a major figure in the islands' heritage. Upon his death in 1835, he bestowed all of his significant Exuma land holdings to his slaves. As a result, a number of towns on Great Exuma have been named after him (such as Rolleville and Rolletown).The islands are a popular spot for yachtingYachting is a noncommercial boating activity. It may be racing sailing boats, cruising to distant shores, or day-sailing along a coast. Racing yachting as a sport Whilst sailing's invention is prehistoric, racing sailing boats is believed to have started, sailingSailing is motion across a body of water in a sailing ship, or smaller boat, powered by wind. How sailing works The force of the wind is used to create motion by using one or more sails. The movement of the air over the sails acts in the same way that air, divingDiving has several meanings: plunging deliberately or acrobatically into water, swimming while underwater, and using breathing apparatus such as scuba diving equipment or surface supplied diving equipment. Humans are not the only ones to dive. Some specie, and coral reef and caveAlternate meanings: Cave (disambiguation A cave is a natural underground void. Cave types and formation Caves are formed by geologic processes. These may involve a combination of chemical processes, tectonic forces and atmospheric influences. Primary cave exploring. Much of the unnamed beaches and coves of the island, including extensive offshore reef areas, are part of the protected Exuma National Land and Sea Park of the Bahamas National Trust.
The Exumas are the historic home of the Lucayan Indians, who were wholly enslaved in the 1500sCenturies: 15th century 16th century 17th century Decades: 1450s 1460s 1470s 1480s 1490s 1500s 1510s 1520s 1530s 1540s 1550s Years: 1500 1501 1502 1503 1504 1505 1506 1507 1508 1509 1510 Events and Trends Leonardo da Vinci paints the Mona Lisa External li, leaving the islands uninhabited until the 1700sEvents and Trends The Bonneville Slide blocks the Columbia River near the site of present-day Cascade Locks, Oregon with a land bridge 200 feet high. The river eventually removes the blockage, but this event is remembered in the local legends of the Nativ. In the intervening period, the Exumas provided many hideouts and stashes for pirates.