Nassau Bahamas is the capital city of the Bahamas, strategically located on the 21-mile-long island of New Providence. It’s country’s 11th largest island, and though its protected by Paradise Island, it was the scene of many a swashbuckling pirate almost from the time of Christopher Columbus over five hundred years ago, up until 1718, when the Bahamas first Royal Governor, Mr. Woddes Roger, decided to expel them and bring back order to the region. The motto for centuries around the islands was “Expulsis Piratis, Restituta Commercia,” which quite pointedly meant, “Pirates Expelled, Commerce Restored.” It wasn’t an easy endeavor, but the governor did see great excess, and today, the island of New Providence is home to some 212,000 people, many of which call Nassau Bahamas home. But that is just part of the story. The really interesting bit, is everything that happened in between, and if you come to Nassau on vacation, and spend the better part of your time lounging on a beach, you’re never going to learn about fascinating, exciting and dangerous this place once was! Forget a Hollywood Blockbuster, Nassau Bahamas and the surrounding region have plenty of sizzling secrets and incredible stories to share, you just have to be willing to get out there to discover them!
Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation
Many of us take for granted the fact that the Bahamas, Nassau specifically, became one of the most important former slave refuges in the world. Once slavery was formally abolished by the British in 1833, many former slaves migrated to Nassau Bahamas to avoid slavery in the rest of America. The Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation is named after a courageous slave by the name of Pompey who lived on the Rolle Plantantion on Steventon, Exuma. The now museum was formerly named Vendue House in 1784, and was listed as one of Nassau Bahamas public buildings. The building itself is thought to date back to the 1760’s and was the site of a public market that included the trade and purchase of various commodities including African slaves. Later, in the 20th century, it was used to house the telegraph and telephone department, and later the electricity department. Finally, in 1992, the building was converted for public use and was named after Pompey, a slave who brought about the revolt against the Rolle Plantation. The museum features several exhibitions on slavery in the Bahamas.
Pirates of Bahamas Museum
Ships Ahoy! Welcome to the pirate capital of the world! Nassau Bahamas pays tribute to the notorious swashbucklers of the past with a number of number of heritage sights around the city, and a fabulous museum! The Pirates of Bahamas Museum walks you through Golden Age of Piracy, a thirty year window in which Nassau attracted the most impressive concentration of pirates in the history of the world. The city’s strategic base, provided a haven for shallow drafting vessels to pick off unsuspecting merchant ships who ventured close to the harbor. The interactive museum is the only one of its kind in the world, and if you have an open afternoon, this is the perfect place to bring the family for a thorough pirate education!
Take a Personal Photo Tour of Nassau’s Colonial Architectural Heart
Nassau Bahamas is chock full of amazing buildings, and if you’re not in the mood to take a Nassau sightseeing tour, hire yourself a bicycle, grab your camera and wander the city to your heart’s delight. Make sure you get to the Parliament buildings, the courthouse and the Government House. Sometimes on a structured tour, you don’t get enough of a chance to mingle with curious locals, so make sure to stop along the way and chat them up. You never know who you’ll meet, or interesting morsels of history you might learn. The city itself is relatively safe, but it’s always a good idea to keep your personal belongings close.
While Nassau Bahamas is renown for being a jump off point for various popular water activities, take some time to explore this historic city, and learn about it’s highly influential cultural past.
