The Drama in Bahamaswas a ten-round boxing match….which took place between Muhammad Ali and Trevor Berbick in Nassau, Bahamas on December 11, 1981….as Ali was 39 years old at this time…. and Berbick was 27 years old. The fight went the distance with Berbick winning through a unanimous decision on points. This was Ali’s last boxing match.
Nassau is the capital and largest city of The Bahamas….with a population of 274,400 as of 2016….which is just over 70% of the entire population of the Bahamas (≈391,000),….whereas, Nassau is commonly defined as a primate city, dwarfing all other towns in the country….while it is the center of commerce, education, law, administration and media of the country…..and all things The Bahamas.
Nassau’s modern growth began in the late eighteenth century….with the influx of thousands of Loyalists and their slaves to the Bahamas following the American War of Independence….as many of them settled in Nassau and eventually came to outnumber the original inhabitants.
As the population of Nassau grew, so did its populated areas. Today the city dominates the entire island and its satellite, Paradise Island….however, until the post-Second World War era, the outer suburbs scarcely existed. Most of New Providence was uncultivated bush until Loyalists were resettled there following the American Revolutionary War….when they established several plantations, such as Clifton and Tusculum….as slaves were imported as labor.
After the British abolished the international slave trade in 1807….that is when they resettled thousands of Africans liberated from slave ships by the Royal Navy on New Providence at Adelaide Village and Gambier Village….along with other islands such as Grand Bahama, Exuma, Abaco and Inagua. In addition, slaves freed from American ships, such as the Creole case in 1841, were allowed to settle there. The largest concentration of Africans historically lived in the “Over-the-Hill” suburbs of Grants Town and Bain Town to the south of the city of Nassau….while most of the inhabitants of European descent lived on the island’s northern coastal ridges.
As seen in this video herewith….the sights of Nassau certainly support the British, European and American influences in their cultures and lifestyles…plus the footage of Muhammad Ali at age 39 is worthy of the price of admission for this video.
