Those of you not familiar with the history of the Bahamas now have at least a basic understanding of its history and culture.
Christopher Columbus's first landfall in the New World in 1492 is believed to have been on the island of San Salvador (also called Watling's Island), in the southeastern Bahamas. He encountered Taino (also known as Lucayan) Amerindians and exchanged gifts with them.
Taino Indians from both northwestern Hispaniola and northeastern Cuba moved into the southern Bahamas about the 7th century AD and became the Lucayans. They appear to have settled the entire archipelago by the 12th century AD. There may have been as many as 40,000 Lucayans living in the Bahamas when Columbus arrived.
The Bahamian Lucayans were deported to Hispaniola as slaves, and within two decades Taino societies ceased to exist as a separate population due to forced labour, warfare, disease, emigration and outmarriage.
Some say the name 'Bahamas' derives from the Spanish for "shallow sea", baja mar. Others trace it to the Lucayan word for Grand Bahama Island, ba-ha-ma ("large upper middle land").
After the Lucayans were destroyed, the Bahamian islands were deserted until the arrival of English settlers from Bermuda in 1650. Known as the Eleutherian Adventurers, these people established settlements on the island now called Eleuthera (from the Greek word for freedom).
The Bahamas became a British crown colony in 1718 but remained sparsely settled until the newly independent United States expelled thousands of American Tories and their slaves. Many of these British Loyalists were given compensatory land grants in Canada and the Bahamas. Some 8,000 loyalists and their slaves moved to the Bahamas in the late 1700s from New York, Florida and the Carolinas.
The British granted the islands internal self-government in 1964 and, in 1973, Bahamians achieved full independence while remaining a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Since the 1950s, the Bahamian economy has prospered based on the twin pillars of tourism and financial services.
Despite this however, the country still faces significant challenges in areas such education, healthcare, correctional facilites and violent crime and illegal immigration. The urban renewal project has been luached in recent years to help impoverished urban areas in social decline in the main islands.
Today, the country enjoys the third highest per capita income in the western hemisphere.
The first appearance of the hairbrush is perhaps the hardest to nail down, but archeologists have found plenty of evidence the personal grooming tool was well instilled into the culture of the Romans. This makes it a fairly safe bet to suspect they appeared on the scene even before the Roman Empire made its mark on the world in the years prior to the birth of Christ.
One of the best ways to trace the importance and popularity of hair grooming tools such as the hairbrush is to look at hairstyles themselves. While implements may not have survived, painted portraits, sculptures and other representations of the people of the ages have.
In ancient Greece, for example, it is widely believed that both men and women used mirrors and hairbrushes. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that hair was curled, and carefully designed into elaborate, plaited styles. Brushes at this time likely used natural hairs, such as boar bristles to help distribute natural oils
Other ancient civilizations are known for their elaborate hairstyles as well. The ancient Egyptians, for example, enjoyed the use of curled wigs that could be heavily adorned for ceremony. Otherwise these people, who fought heat on a regular basis, tended to wear their hair closely clipped to assist them in dealing with the elements. When dealing with their natural hair, it’s likely the implements were simplistic, yet durable with natural bristles to ensure its health.
As it was in Greece, so too was it in ancient Rome where the styles were elaborate. Here both wigs and natural styles were popular. So valued was the art of hair grooming that public barbershops came on the scene.
And while grooming is not necessarily synonymous with the Middle Ages, it is believed by many a historian that the Vikings were quite particular about their hair. There have been documents found to support the idea that Nordic men, at least, carefully cared for their hair, bathed and used combs, if not brushes to make their tresses stand out.
As time marched forward, the care of hair and more elaborate implements to style it came on the scene. From rounded brushes to the nylon-bristle brushes of more modern times, the tools of the hair grooming trade have certainly advanced. What started out as perhaps a very basic implement meant to assist in the creation of a simple style has become a very specialized tool with those who style hair for a living having an array of brushes at their command to create just the right do.
While it might be difficult to clearly point to a single civilization or singular moment in time when hairbrushes came on the scene, it is not hard to show that hair care was a valued practice from ancient history forward. From modest roots where, oftentimes, only the privileged could afford the best styles to modern times where hair care is a multi-billion-dollar industry, the importance of hair and the implements used to make it “shine" is evident in most known cultures and societies.
And even as time and technology have moved forward, as is often the case, it’s been discovered natural elegance is often the best with many preferring to use the natural bristles those from days gone by relied upon over the synthetics of today to ensure a healthy shine.
Both Heather Colman & Vincent Platania are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Heather Colman has sinced written about articles on various topics from Medicine, Acid Reflux and Other Conditions. This article is Copyright (c) 2006, Heather Colman. Permission is granted to reprint this article as long as no changes are made, and this entire resource box is included. Find more. Heather Colman's top article generates over 60500 views. to your Favourites.
Vincent Platania has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acne Treatment, Family Concerns and Home Management. Author Vincent Platania represents the Fuller Brush Company.Fuller Brush has been in business since 1906, and offers safe, environmentally friendly products for keeping your home and your body clean.Visit. Vincent Platania's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.