By Ms. Sally M. JOHNSON © 2013

Putting it Together!! The next slides show provides a more indebt view of some of the areas the Loyalist made a great impact in Let us examine in detail some of these major contributions

The Loyalists and their descendants made notable contributions to the Bahamas in every walk of life. They were noted for their belief in parliamentary government, the rule of law, gradual social change (evolution rather than revolution) and attachment to British institutions. They and their sons played an active role in the development of The Bahamas that still exist to present day. They advocated the establishment of an elected legislature and brought new life to the political structure. With their diversity of racial and ethnic backgrounds and religious traditions, they also foreshadowed the emergence of the multicultural Bahamas of today. Introduction

The main objective of this presentation is talk about the Loyalist and the impact they had on the Bahamas. and also evaluate the many contribution they made to The Bahamas After the American War of Independence a group still loyal to Great Britain (and their slaves) left the United States to make their home in the Bahama Islands. The Loyalists and their slaves would change the social, economic and political landscape of the Bahamas

Contributions the Loyalist made!!  The Loyalist coming had a great impact for this country. Many changes and improvements were made after they arrived here.  The population tripled and continued to grow. Islands which no one lived on before had permanent residents. For the first time black outnumbered whites three to one.  Politically the Loyalists made a huge impact in the governance of the colony. The number of seats in the House of Assembly were increased to house five new members who represented new out island settlements.  They dominated the House of Assembly and made many new laws, particularly those pertaining to controlling slaves.

 Bahamian architecture, governmental systems, skills in Agriculture, newspapers, ship building and entire religious and educational legacy is based on the movement of this group.  The impact of the Loyalist is transposed through the longevity of the settlements and the overall development of the people after slavery.

 New buildings were built because of the Loyalists. These include St. Matthews Church(built in 1802), Christ Church Cathedral, a jail.  Fort Fincastle(built 1789), Fort Charlotte(built ), and the Nassau public library along with new schools.  The first newspaper called the Bahama Gazzette was introduced in 1784 by a man named John Wells

 A number of schools were established for the first time and children for the first time had a opportunity to learn basic skills in reading and writing and arithmetic.  The Loyalist introduced denominational Christianity to The Bahamas, such as Anglicans, Baptist, Methodists and Presbyterians. Bahamian Social Studies for Secondary Schools Bk 2 Chris Curry & Neil Sealy  In Abaco the Loyalists contributed their expertise in boat building especially those living on Man- O War Cay.  In Nassau they introduced a new style of architecture using stone and brick as opposed to earlier wooden structures.

Besides bringing with them skills such as boat- building (Cash et al., 1978), for example, one of the most crucial improvements made to the country was that of education. The Loyalists had started many schools, thereby giving education a new impetus (Cash et al., 1978) and were considered to be “cultured and educated people with a rigorous and lively interest in the provision of education for their children… Educational Impact

The development of education in the Bahamas occurred simultaneously, and all at the will of the Loyalists. Most of the schools that were developed at this time were indeed church schools. These initial schools were under the support of the Church of England as it was the only active denomination in the islands, at that time. When support from the Church of England proved insufficient, further aid came from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.

The standard of living in the country was now improved. New settlements were laid out. Islands which were uninhabited before were now settled. The standard of living in the country was now improved. New settlements were laid out. Islands which were uninhabited before were now settled. The cotton plantations was established in the islandsThe cotton plantations was established in the islands The revenue of the Bahamas was increased by the cotton saleThe revenue of the Bahamas was increased by the cotton sale New roads were constructedNew roads were constructed The first newspaper was printed by the Loyalist this was started in 1784 and was called the Bahamas Gazette.The first newspaper was printed by the Loyalist this was started in 1784 and was called the Bahamas Gazette. The Loyalist also established the shipbuilding industry at Man-O-War Cay, AbacoThe Loyalist also established the shipbuilding industry at Man-O-War Cay, Abaco Economic Changes

Population Change Before the Loyalists came the islands were very poor and under-populated. There were between 4, ,000 people in The Bahamas; and the only islands that had people were New Providence, Eleuthera and Harbour Island. By 1789 the total population was 11, 300. due to the large influx of loyalist arrival in While many remained in New Providence many left to settle in the Family Islands, mainly because New Providence was too small and infertile. Some of the islands settled by these Loyalists were Exuma, Abaco, Long Island, Cat Island, Andros, and Crooked Island

It was on these islands that cotton plantations were established and soon it was a profitable industry that brought a lot of money into the islands. The Loyalists brought their slaves with them to work on the plantations. By 1789, the population of The Bahamas had increased to 11,300, of whom 8,000 were slaves. By bringing so many slaves to The Bahamas, the Loyalists changed the social structure of The Bahamas. Blacks now outnumbered whites. For the first time in Bahamian history 3 :1

“The Loyalists and their slaves at least doubled the population of the Bahama Islands...

Social Contributions Socially they introduced the concept of plantation life and a different kind of relationship between master and slave. By bringing so many slaves to the Bahamas, the Loyalists changed the social structure of society and set down racial lines to be followed for centuries to come." Bahamian Loyalists and their slaves by Gail Saunders.

Religious Impact: The coming of the Loyalists had a great effect on the religious life of the country also. They were strong supporters of the Anglican Church in general. Once they became members of the House of Assembly they did all they could to build up the Anglican Church. New Churches were established by Acts of the House of Assembly but after 1785 when the cotton industry began to fail and very little money was in circulation hardly any priests were attracted to come to stay in the islands. The Anglican Church was segregated. The Anglican priests who were there did nothing to bring Negroes into the Church and as a result the Baptists and the Methodists took over the task.

A black man named Joseph Paul founded the Methodist Church in 1796 in the Western District of New Providence. He had come from Florida and set up a church on the site of Bethel Baptist Church.

Cultural Change Cultural Change Perhaps the most important single contribution to the cultural life of the Bahamas was the Bahama Gazette, the first newspaper to be published in the Bahamas. The editor, John Wells, moved the family printing press from Charleston to St. Augustine to Nassau. (Thelma Peters). Other cultural changes was the establishment of a lending Library and improvement made in record keeping

Contributions made by Loyalists Slaves Contributions made by Loyalists Slaves Perhaps the greatest impact the Loyalists had on The Bahamas was the introduction of their slaves to The Bahama Islands. Their slaves not only increased the number of blacks but also changed the culture of The Bahamas. The Loyalists introduced the idea of plantation life to The Bahamas. Also, by bringing so many slaves the Loyalists changed the social structure of The Bahamas. They made new racial laws that separated the races: whites lived in the town of Nassau, while the Blacks lived in the present day over the hill areas of Grants' Town, Delancey Town, named after Stephen Delancey, and Bain Town.

Slaves of the Loyalists brought their beliefs and practices with them from America. Much of their stories and oral history, although shaped by the local environment, was passed on from generation to generation and still affects Bahamian culture today. Especially significant are the use of bush medicine, the practice of Junkanoo, the Baptist religion, story-telling, music and dance, obeah, food and games.

There were doctors around during slave times, but slaves mostly took care of themselves using home methods. Junkanoo is probably the most recognized part of Bahamian history. It is almost certain that the modern Junkanoo festival was brought over by African slaves Similar customs survived in Georgia, Jamaica and Bermuda. There is a lot of evidence that some type of dance was held at Christmas by the slaves or on the day after Christmas. Charles Farquharson, a plantation owner on San Salvador, wrote on the 2o December 1832:

" Some of our people gone abroad to see some of their friends and some at home amusing themselves in their own way through the day, but all of them at home in the evening and had a grand dance and keep it up until near day light“ Dowson, a Methodist missionary who served in the West Indies between 1810 and 1817, on arriving at Turks Island (then part of The Bahamas) on Christmas Day said: “ / never before witnessed such a Christmas Day; the Negroes have been beating their tambourines and dancing the whole day. Now between eight and nine o 'clock they are pursuing their sport as hotly as ever..

Loyalist Names  Some Loyalist names included: Dean, Forbes, Rolle, Johnson, Adderley, Fox, Bowe, Culmer, Kelly, Ferguson, Russell, Curry

Architectural Change Many new buildings were built. New churches (St Matthew s, Christ Church Cathedral and St Andrew's Presbyterian), schools and handsome private houses were built. Most of the buildings built in The Bahamas during this time were made in the Georgian Style, architectural style of the southern United States.

The houses were rectangular in shape, 2 to 3 stories in height and built with a balcony. Many public buildings and forts were constructed. These included: Fort Charlotte and Fort Fincastle; Dunmore House, the prison, now the Nassau Public Library.

Conclusion The influx of loyalists had a pivotal effect on every aspect in Bahamian society. The loyalists’ population transformed the formerly backward colony into a model colony able to cope with the ever increasing population and the associated demands that came along with it. The colony was previously governed without a legislative council but with the influx of the loyalists, demand for an elected representative body grew especially to those newly developed islands that was never represented in parliament.

Conclusion In conclusion, at the close of the Loyalists period in Bahamian History,the town of Nassau was looking very impressive. Along with its beautiful colonial style houses (e.g. the Deanery on Cumberland Street). There was also the Vendue House (Slave Market), St. Matthew's Church, the House of Assembly and other buildings in the square. The Nassau Public Library was also constructed then. It served as the town's jail. The Loyalists had indeed improved the standard of life in The Bahamas, and for the first time in Bahamian history the black population outnumbered the white.

References Bahamian Loyalist & their Slaves Gail Saunders Bahamian Loyalist & their Slaves Gail Saunders Bahamian Highlights Allen. G. MurrayBahamian Highlights Allen. G. Murray Bahamian History Book 1 & 2 Gillian BainBahamian History Book 1 & 2 Gillian Bain Bahamian Social Studies for Secondary Schools Chris Curry & Neil Sealy Bahamian Social Studies for Secondary Schools Chris Curry & Neil Sealy The Internet Google search/ Bahamian History The Internet Google search/ Bahamian History The Making of The Bahamas Don Maples The Making of The Bahamas Don Maples