A Short History of Paradise
Okay, I’ll confess. I’m not anywhere near a computer or the internet right now. I scheduled this post to appear way ahead of time. Why? Because as you read this I’m probably sitting on the balcony of the Atlantis Resort, staring out over the pristine beaches and crystal waters of the Bahamas. And it’s just as likely that I’m daydreaming about pirates and treasure. Because who wouldn’t be in a setting like this? But what is the real history of this island I’m sitting on? Were there pirates and buried treasure here?
Well, in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. And he landed in the Bahamas. On the island of San Salvador, to be exact. What he found there was a tropical paradise inhabited by a small number of natives. These natives, the Lucayan, were either of Carib descent or related to the indigenous peoples of Florida, the Seminoles. They were a peaceful, non-cannibalistic people, so of course Columbus scooped them all up as slaves to work in the mines of Hispaniola. No one ever said Columbus was a nice guy. (more…)
