The History behind the statue of Christopher Columbus

Many Bahamians question why the Christopher Columbus statue exists and what is the importance behind it being at Government house, and rightly so considering Columbus  didn’t discover The Bahamas  and also made no positive contribution to what this country is today.

The history of the statue is tied with Sir James Carmichael Smyth, slaves in The Bahamas and another statue the Queen Victoria in parliament square.

Sir James Carmichael Smyth was appointed Governor of The Bahamas in 1829. Smyth was a known sympathizer with the cause of slaves and a keen abolitionist, because of this he found himself to be the enemy of many influential whites. 

Smyth also worked to abolish corporal punishment for female slaves, Smyth tried without success to persuade the House of the Assembly to legislate against it.

in 1830 Smyth became aware of cruelty towards female slaves among a group of 77 runaways from the Lord Rolle estate in Exuma.The slaves, who had stolen a boat and fled to Nassau, were seized in Nassau Harbour and tried as runaways. ‬

‪The magistrates who signed the warrant for the punishment of the female slaves were suspended by Smyth. Smyth's actions caused an uproar

Smyth was described as a pre emancipation hero for attacking the atrocities of slavery and providing leniency for runaway slaves. He also dismissed the police magistrate and severalmunicipal judges for defiance of these orders. 

Carmichael Smyth frequently worshipped with the black congregation on Sundays, the ruins of this church are located at the junction of Carmichael and Gladstone road and are incorporated into the structure of St. Ambrose Anglican Church. 

To show gratitude the black people collected a great amount of funds which they gave to Carmichael Smyth to have a monument made. It is my assumption that the black Bahamians assumed that he would have a monument sculpted of himself but instead  he had a statue of Christopher Columbus sculpted. 

The statue was originally meant to be in parliament square but the rich whites were disgusted with the thought of a statue paid for by black people would be at the House of Parliament entrance. So instead the wealthy whites erected a statue of Queen Victoria where it still remains. 

As a result Sir James Carmichael Smyth moved his gift to pecks slope near Government house

Information retrieved from “The African diaspora of The Bahamas” by Keith L. Tinker