The Causeway opens
September 19, 1871 - Six thousand people—about half of the Island’s population—staked out positions in the area to witness the official opening of the Causeway and Swing Bridge on September 19, 1871. Begun in 1864, and built at a cost of £30,000, it was the largest project undertaken by Government up to that point. The Causeway replaced the ferries that connected St. George’s with the mainland. The celebrations got under way at 2.30p.m. when Governor John H. Lefroy arrived on Longbird Island, where he was greeted by a guard of honour and a 17-gun salute. After speeches from dignitaries, a carriage procession lined up to drive across the new bridge.
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Wesley LeRoy Tucker
Businessman and parliamentarian Wesley LeRoy Tucker, one of our candidates for national heroes, had secured his place in history as the ‘Father of the Franchise ‘. He introduced to Parliament the bill that gave adults full voting rights in 1963 and shepherded it through Parliament over four years.He was also the first black person appointed to the Executive Council, the forerunner of Cabinet, and the first black president of the Bermuda Employers’ Council.
Photo courtesy The Tucker Family
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