However with the arrival of a privateer Captain Woodes Rogers in 1717, peace and order was restored under his governance. He was rewarded with the governorship of the islands, therefore placing the Bahamas under direct British control. Another historical milestone is when 8,000 American colonists, still loyal to the British Flag from the American War of Independence fled to the Out Islands, taking their slaves to work on the cotton plantations. The loyalists brought with them their colonial building skills, agriculture and shipbuilding expertise. When the soil began to fail from over-planting, the farmers left but their slaves remained. Today a large part of the population is made up from their descendants. In 1964, The Islands of The Bahamas were granted limited self-government by Great Britain. Five years later in 1969 the colony of The Bahamas became a commonwealth and legally became a nation on July 10th 1973. Today, The Bahamas remain a part of The British Commonwealth and the country’s main source of income is from its tourism industry. It has grown to be one of the strongest economies in the region churning out £900 million a year and employing 50 per cent of the workforce.