European Bahamians or Bahamians of European Descent are Bahamians whose ancestry is from the continent of Europe. Most are from the British Puritans and American Loyalists who arrived in 1649 and 1783. A small number of the European Bahamian people are from Greek laborers who came to help develop the sponging industry in the 1900s. Included are white Cubans and Puerto Ricans.