It is not a great secret that the British Empire’s far-flung colonies were built on the backs of slaves. But here in the Bahamas, it is truly in the forefront. More than 90% of the country identifies as being of African descent, and let’s just say that not a lot of that is from modern immigration. The Bahamas as a colony was founded in 1649 by English puritans from Bermuda, who brought with them their slaves.

As with elsewhere in the Empire, land grants were given by the Crown to whites. But it wasn’t until the American Revolution that the islands were really settled en masse. Loyalists – those who supported England during the Revolution – were given land here on the islands in exchange for their service, and about 7,000 fled here once the war was lost. And, of course, they brought their slaves with them. Slaves easily outnumbered the whites.

(There were also free blacks who relocated here, having been released from slavery in return for their service to the Crown during the war.)

In 1807, the Slave Trade Act abolished the importation of slaves to British colonies, although slavery itself remained legal. But ships bound for the United States (which still allowed the trade in humans, to its lasting shame) were captured, and their human cargo brought to the Bahamas. These free blacks were not slaves, but neither were they equal to white Europeans.

To learn more about slavery in the Bahamas, I head to the Pompey Museum, located right in downtown Nassau a few minutes’ walk from the cruise terminal. While tourists abound on the street outside, I am one of only a few inside the one-room museum named for a slave who led a non-violent revolt against the largest Bahamian landowner, Lord Rolle, in 1830.

The museum talks about the entire history of slavery in the Bahamas, but there is a significant amount of time focused on its namesake.

In 1829, an overseer on one of Rolle’s estates on Exuma announced that a group of slaves would be relocated to another island, without having time to harvest the crops they grew for their own sustenance. Pompey and 43 others fled the plantation. They stole a ship and made for Nassau to petition the governor. Ultimately, they were apprehended, but public sentiment shifted toward abolition, and even in the immediate aftermath, changes were made to make slaves’ lives a bit better. For instance, beating of women was forbidden. And, importantly, an earlier law stating that all people, including slaves, would be given three days off for Christmas, was enforced.

That provision of time off for Christmas helped to pave the way for what has been called the Carnival of the Bahamas: Junkanoo. (I would like to note that while there are similarities – at least on the surface – between Carnival or Mardi Gras and Junkanoo, they are not the same thing. More in a bit.) Junkanoo began as a celebration by slaves on the day following Christmas, one that held a deeper meaning than simply a day off.

A few blocks from the Pompey Museum sits the Educulture Junkanoo Museum, and I am lucky enough to meet Arlene Nash Ferguson there, who guides me through the small museum. For those who pass by, it is far from hidden, with colorful displays out front. But for most tourists, this would be the very definition of a hidden gem, slightly off the more well trodden path and needing intention to visit.

Junkanoo and Carnival have a few things in common. They are based in African culture, with masks, music, and dancing that slaves used to remember their lives – or those of their ancestors – back in Africa. Both have religious components, although Junkanoo is at Christmas while the Catholic Carnival/Mardi Gras is just before Lent. And both have evolved into incredibly colorful costumed affairs.

But Junkanoo remains a bit more somber of an affair, in contrast to its more party-esque cousin. As Arlene relates to me, Junkanoo, which dates to 1801 but was more widespread after the Christmas holiday was honored post-Pompey, has the added purpose of helping to focus on the humanity of slaves.

Slaves were treated as animals. Well, animals didn’t wear clothing, so Junkanoo costumes are full body coverings. Those have evolved over the years, being made with whatever was handy, including sponges. But all costumes cover the full body and include masks.

Junkanoo includes music, one of the most humanizing aspects of society. The traditional instruments are goat-skin drums and cowbells, but in more modern times, horns and brass have also been added.

Slaves were largely not permitted to learn to read or write. As a humanizing effort, and in defiance of that, many costumes added paper – after all, the written word is on paper. Today, crepe paper and cardboard form the bulk of Junkanoo costumes in memory of that.

The celebration of Junkanoo today takes place both on December 26 and January 1. The color and spectacle of it stand in sharp contrast to the terrible history of enslaved Africans in this country, and as a fitting reminder that darkness can turn to light. That spirit, and always looking forward to better days, has stayed in the Bahamian mindset ever since.

Slavery was finally abolished in the British Empire in 1834, and the Pompey Rebellion is considered to be one of the most important events that moved the sticks. And in the aftermath of abolition, the Bahamas became one of the focal points for free blacks. From Black Seminoles from Florida to the slaves who revolted on the ship Creole in 1841, what was once a center of slavery became a refuge.

Tourists visiting the Bahamas don’t necessarily want to learn this side of history. After all, it takes a bit of the joy out of beach time and rum cocktails. But it is impossible to separate the modern nation from its beginnings as a slave-dominated society and from the overcoming of that, partially via the incredible spirit of Junkanoo. So come here, drink, enjoy the beach, and remember that from the darkest history, the Bahamian people have shown the light of celebration.

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