2011 - 7 - Bahamas Independence and Emancipation

Quoted from several Web Sites regarding Emancipation:“1833, the British Parliament passed an Act to abolish slavery in the British Empire. As of August 1, 1834, all slaves throughout the empire were to become free to some degree — if they were under the age of six, they would become free immediately, but if they were over six, they were to be apprenticed to their former masters. Apprenticeship was finally abolished on August 1, 1838. It is partly for this reason that Emancipation Day is a holiday in The Bahamas. It is a holiday throughout the former British slave colonies of the Caribbean as well — and the reason that Jamaica, for example, chose it as its Independence Day…”

Regarding “Apprenticeship”: “As with all things that dealt with slavery, there would be a transition period before full freedom could be realized. There was a compulsory “apprenticeship” system that was implemented to usher the slaves from an era of being owned, to a period of life when they were no longer deemed property.
During this apprenticeship period ex-slaves were to be dependent on their former masters for employment and the masters dependent on their former slaves for labor and small compensation was to be paid out. During the apprenticeship period employers were still responsible for maintenance. Special magistrates were appointed from England to ensure that the rules of the apprenticeship were being followed. Also in an attempt to make apprenticeships civil, ex-masters drew up contracts with their former slaves which outlined the amount of hours an ex-slave could work. Apprenticeship passed rather smoothly in the Bahamas, with poverty playing the decisive role. As a result full freedom was realized in 1838. To commemorate this special date in every Bahamian’s life, the first Monday during the month of August has been recognized as a national Holiday in the Bahamas to celebrate Emancipation Day.”

However, Independence day continues to be their most important holiday -


Taken from the Web: "Bahamian Independence Day is celebrated each year in the Bahamas from 3rd to 10th July. In many countries they celebrate their Independence or National Day with a day of festivities, or perhaps a long weekend. In the Bahamas they celebrate Independence Day with a whole week of festivities culminating in the anniversary of Independence itself. There were actually three stages in the transition from British colony to nation status in the Bahamas:


In 1964, after decades of debate and legal maneuvering, Great Britain granted the islands of the Bahamas limited self-government.


*The Bahamas became a member of the British Commonwealth in 1969, ending colonial role, but not the British flavor of the islands or its absolute sovereignty.


*The islands finally became a nation on 10th July 1973, which is the date celebrated at the end of a week of festivities as Bahamian Independence Day."