In 1834, when Great Britain banned slavery throughout its empire, former slaves in The Islands Of The Bahamas were allowed to stake claims on whatever open land they could find. Many of Grand Bahama Island’s older settlements such as Pinder’s Point, Russell Town and Williams Town were founded by former slaves. These towns are almost invariably named after their founders or former slave owners. Today, many of the 50,000 people living on Grand Bahama Island were not born here. They hail from all over The Islands Of The Bahamas.