The Depression Years Industries (Bahamas)

Question 1

What was the depression years? (4)

Answer 1

This was a period of great economic hardship. It lasted over 50 years. Life was hard for many Bahamians therefore many of them turned to fishing and farming to earn a living. Other industries were attempted during this era.

Question 2

What is a sponge?

Answer 2

A sponge is an animal (invertebrate) which anchors it self to the sea floor and has a porous and elastic skeleton that remain after the animal dies.

Question 3

When did sponging began? When was it first exported?

Answer 3

• 1840- when it began

* 1843- first export

Question 4

Who introduced sponging to the Bahamas?

Answer 4

A Frenchman named Gustave Renouard.

Question 5

Where were the main sponging areas located?

Answer 5

*Great Bahama Bank, just west of Andros (also called the Mud)

Question 6

How long did sponging voyages lasted?

Answer 6

5-8 weeks

Question 7

The man who rowed the boat was called the _____

The job of the _____ was to pick the sponge from the bottom of the sea with the iron hook.

Answer 7

The man who rowed the boat was called the (sculler)

The job of the (hooker) was to pick the sponge from the bottom of the sea with the iron hook

Question 8

What is a Kraal?

Answer 8

a shallow water enclosure that the sponges were placed in upon arrival at the port

Question 9

When did the sponging industry hit its highest point?

Answer 9

1917

Question 10

What was the disaster that happened to the sponging industry? When did it happen?

Answer 10

• a fungus that only attacked sponges killed all of them

* 1938

Question 11

When did the pineapple era started? When was it first canned?

Answer 11

• 1842- when it started

* 1857- it was first canned

Question 12

Who built a factory in in 1876 where the pineapples were boiled, put in syrup and canned?

Answer 12

J.S. Johnson

Question 13

What type of soil was needed to grow pineapple?

Answer 13

read loam soil

Question 14

What is the main island for growing pineapples?

Answer 14

Eleuthera

Question 15

What does Sisal stand for and what is it?

Answer 15

*Agave rigida sisilana

A long green leaf plant containing fibers tough enough to make ropes

Question 16

Where is Sisal from and who introduced it?

Answer 16

• Yucatan- from

* C.R. Nesbit- introducer

Question 17

In what year was Sisal introduced to the Bahamas?

Answer 17

1845

Question 18

What company was found to promote to you? where was it located? Who was it ran by?

Answer 18

• Andros Fibre Company- company
• Andros- location
• Neville Chamberlain- owner

Question 19

How long did the Conch Shell industry last?

Answer 19

4 years

Question 20

When was timber introduced and on what island?

Answer 20

• 1870

* Abaco

Question 21

What industry began in the 1870’s on the islands of Eleuthera and Cat island?

Answer 21

The Tomato Industry

Question 22

where to was the first sponging export made?

Answer 22

*Paris, France

Question 23

What are 4 of the main sponges?

Answer 23

• wool
• velvet
• yellow
• grass

Question 24

Name 3 of the main sponging grounds.

Answer 24

*The Great Bahama Bank, just west of Andros aka the Mud
*The Exuma Sound
The Bight of Acklins

Question 25

What known event happened to Florida from 1894-1893?

Answer 25

The Great Freeze

Question 26

What is the Great Freeze?

Answer 26

An event that took place in Florida where many of the citrus groves were destroyed due to freezing temperatures.

Question 27

When did wrecking started?

Answer 27

1858

Question 28

What is wrecking?

Answer 28

Wrecking is the salvaging of good of ships that were wrecked.

Question 29

In which ways did Bahamians cause ships to be wrecked? (2)

Answer 29

• They would lead them to reef- strewn waters

* They were lead them to the parts where the lighthouses were broken and it wa hard to see.

Question 30

What laws governed the wrecking industry? (3)

Answer 30

• Every man and his boat had to be registered to take part in wrecking.
• There was a certain amount of goods that each wrecker could take.
• It was illegal to cause a wrecking.

Question 31

What factors led to the decline of wrecking? (3)

Answer 31

• The building of lighthouses
• The British Admiralty prepared accurate charts of the reef-strewed waters that helped mariners, the captain and sailor were better trained.
• The replacement of sailboats for steamships.

Question 32

Who were the main buyers of Bahamian sponges?

Answer 32

Greek merchants