lers ▁to ▁found ▁a ▁rival ▁town ▁near ▁Marsh ▁Har bour ▁called ▁Max well . ▁Conf lict ▁between ▁dis gr unt led ▁sett lers ▁and ▁the ▁officials ▁responsible ▁for ▁helping ▁became ▁a ▁constant ▁feature ▁of ▁life ▁on ▁the ▁islands . ▁Sea ▁island ▁cot ton ▁was ▁first ▁s own ▁by ▁the ▁sett lers ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 5 ▁and ▁although ▁both ▁ 1 7 8 6 ▁and ▁ 1 7 8 7 ▁produced ▁good ▁cro ps , ▁the ▁ 1 7 8 8 ▁c rop ▁was ▁bl ight ed ▁by ▁c ater p ill ars . ▁Other ▁settlement s ▁on ▁the ▁islands ▁were ▁Green ▁T urt le ▁C ay , ▁Man - o - W ar ▁C ay , ▁and ▁Sand y ▁Point . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 7 9 0 s , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Lo yal ists ▁from ▁the ▁Carol inas ▁arrived ▁on ▁the ▁islands ▁via ▁Florida , ▁found ing ▁the ▁isolated ▁settlement ▁of ▁Ch ero kee ▁Sound . ▁ ▁Early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁the ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁of ▁the ▁Bah am as , ▁Ly nd en ▁P ind ling , ▁announced ▁his ▁government ' s ▁plans ▁for ▁independence ▁from ▁Britain . ▁On ▁Ab aco , ▁the ▁Gre ater ▁Ab aco ▁Council ▁was ▁formed ▁to ▁lo bb y ▁for ▁continued ▁British ▁rule . ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁the ▁Gre ater ▁Ab aco ▁Council ▁submitted ▁a ▁pet ition ▁to ▁the ▁Queen ▁asking ▁that ▁Ab aco ▁become ▁a ▁' comple t