Question#3-Objective Three

The Loyalists experienced many challenges in coming to The Bahamas. What were some of these challenges and how did these effect the Loyalists? It was hard for the Loyalists to come to The Bahamas because they didn't know much about the Bahamas and they were lea ing behind property that they ha e spent years building up. To sol e these two! first "ir #uy $arleton! $ommander%in%$heif of the British &orces in 'orth (merica sent Lieutenant )ohn Wilson! British (cting *ngineer to sur ey and report on the condition of The Bahama islands in +,-. and +,-/. (lthough Wilson's reports were not the most optimistic the second one was more fa ourable and many people in desperation were prepared to belie e the best of the islands. In +,-.0-/ by 1oyal 2roclamation free land was granted to (merican Loyalists wishing to settle in The Bahamas. Thousands of acres of land were granted to the Loyalists who had originally come arious parts of the world. The Loyalists also had a hard time dealing with the #o ernor of the Bahamas at the time! #o ernor 3axwell and the older inhabitants of the Bahamas who showed an unmistakable pre4udice towards the new element in the colony. The coming of the loyalists thus brought with it factional feeling%feeling that grew so pronounced ere long as to lead the new settlers to disa ow openly any responsibility for an address of regret presented to the #o ernor when he surrendered his office and returned to *ngland in the

summer of +,-5. The loyalists promptly became the party of opposition to the existing go ernment in the islands6 they critici7ed the administration! accused #o ernor 3axwell of attempting to withhold from them the right to trial by 4ury ! and of other conduct which they characteri7ed as tyrannical. They also found some of the laws! on the ground that they were repugnant to those of the mother country! and they demanded reform. The election of +,-5 ga e the loyalists some members in the house of (ssembly! but the nati e population was still in control there8 and when se eral members! who fa ored the new party! withdrew from the 9ouse and persisted in absenting themsel es against the 9ouse's orders! they were declared to be no longer eligible to seats in that body. The loyalists sent a petition to the (ssembly asking for its dissolution! which! after being read! was handed o er to the common hangman to be burned before the door of the 9ouse. By the latter part of +,-:! the loyalists had become the stronger party in the Bahamas. The (merican loyalists also nearly went bankrupt after the failure of cotton. It did not take long for these experienced cotton raisers to clear lands and plant their crops. It is said that fifteen years after their arri al! forty plantations! with between ;!<<< and .!<<<acres in cotton fields! had been established on $rooked Island alone! and that on Long Island! which was settled at an earlier date! and which had been more extensi ely impro ed! there were! in +,-.! nearly /!<<< acres in culti ation. In the year +,-, cotton production was at its highest and by +,-- the cotton production had become a successful operation with o er -!<<< acres of land under culti ation. The best cotton islands pro ed

to be Long Island! Waltings Island! $at Island and *xuma. In +,-- and +,=/ the $henille bug destroyed hundreds of tons of cotton and nearly bankrupted the loyalists. $onse>uently with their finances nearly exhausted! many of the loyalists sold their land! took their sla es and returned to (merica to grow (nguilla cotton.