Exuma – settled by Loyalists around 1783
Exuma's settled history begins around 1783, when American Loyalists fleeing the Revolutionary War arrived and brought a cotton plantation economy with them. George Town, founded in 1793, was named in honour of King George III, to whom the settlers remained loyal. A key figure in Exuma's heritage is John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle: on his death in 1842 he left his extensive land holdings to the people he had enslaved, and towns such as Rolleville and Rolletown still bear his name. Today the chain of more than 365 islands and cays is known for sailing, diving and protected parks such as the Exuma National Land and Sea Park. Do you have a story from Exuma? Share it with the community!