highland recreation area By 1800, the black population of the islands had tripled. Emancipation came to the Bahamas in August

By 1800, the black population of the islands had tripled. Emancipation came to the Bahamas highland recreation area in August 1834, and the newly liberated slaves left Nassau and moved over the hill to establish settlements of their own. The descendants of those slaves still live in Grant s Town, Carmichael, Gambier and Adelaide, as well as on the Out Islands highland recreation area of The Exumas, Rum Cay, San Salvador, Long Island and others. Unfortunately, the one-time slaves were unequipped for life on their own; the new settlements endured but didn t prosper. The black Bahamians highland recreation area became the poor people of the islands.

In 1649, Captain William Sayle and a band of Englishmen arrived in the islands from Bermuda. They came with slaves of their own, seeking religious freedom. They called themselves the Eleutherian Adventurers, hence the island of Eleuthera. The name is based upon the Greek word for freedom. highland recreation area