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| Originally settled by the Arawak Indians who came to the islands around the 9th century, the Bahama Islands were taken over by gold-searching conquistadors in 1500 after Columbus "discovered" the area. Soon the Indians died away due to enslavement, disease and other hardships forced upon them by the outside world, causing the Spanish to abandon the islands. Next came the English who settled the island in search of religious freedom. Later pirates such as Blackbeard and Henry Morgan took advantage of the landscape and used the islands to trap unsuspecting ships for their treasures. Their reign lasted about 50 years until Britain recognized the Bahamas as a colony. The islands remained under British colonial rule for 250 years until they gained their independence in 1973 and became a member of the British Commonwealth. |  Photo courtesy Bahamas Tourist Office
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