▁first ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁the ▁Luc ay ans . ▁The ▁first ▁European ▁sett lers ▁of ▁the ▁islands ▁were ▁Lo yal ists ▁fle eing ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution ▁who ▁arrived ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 3 , ▁as ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁case ▁at ▁Cat ▁Island . ▁These ▁original ▁Lo yal ist ▁sett lers ▁made ▁a ▁mod est ▁living ▁by ▁salv aging ▁w re cks , ▁by ▁building ▁small ▁wooden ▁boats , ▁and ▁by ▁basic ▁far ming . ▁ ▁Pre - Col umb ian ▁and ▁Spanish ▁er as ▁▁ ▁The ▁original ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁the ▁Bah am as ▁before ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁Europe ans ▁were ▁the ▁Luc ay ans . ▁They ▁were ▁a ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁Ta ín os ▁who ▁inhab ited ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁islands ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁The ▁Luc ay ans ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁encountered ▁by ▁Christopher ▁Columb us . ▁The ▁Spanish ▁started ▁se izing ▁Luc ay ans ▁as ▁slaves ▁within ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁of ▁Columb us ' s ▁arrival , ▁and ▁they ▁had ▁all ▁been ▁removed ▁from ▁the ▁Bah am as ▁by ▁ 1 5 2 0 . ▁After ▁the ▁ex termin ation ▁of ▁the ▁Luc ay ans , ▁there ▁were ▁no ▁known ▁permanent ▁settlement s ▁in ▁the ▁Bah am as ▁for ▁approximately ▁ 1 3 0 ▁years . ▁ ▁Spain ▁laid ▁claim ▁to ▁the ▁Bah am as ▁after ▁Columb us ' s ▁discovery ▁of ▁the ▁islands ▁but ▁showed ▁little ▁interest ▁in ▁them . ▁The ▁Italian ▁expl orer ▁Amer igo ▁V esp ucci ▁spent ▁four