In 1492 Christopher Columbus discovers San Salvador, one of the present-day Bahamas. These islands are inhabited by the Lucayan Indians, but within 25 years, all Lucayans perished. In 1647 a group of English and Bermudan religious refugees, found the first permanent European settlement in the Bahamas. The islands become an official crown colony, the Bahamas in 1717. In 1873 the Turks and Caicos Islands are seceded from the Bahamas. The Bahamas are granted self government with a chief minister in 1954. The first chief minister is Roland T. Symonette of the white and conservative United Bahamian Party (UBP). The Bahamas achieve in 1964 more internal self-government with parliamentary democratic institutions. At that moment Symonette becomes prime minister. In 1967 the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) comes into power with prime minister Lynden Pindling.

Pindling leads the country into independence, which is realized in 1973 as the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, a independent parliamentary democratic monarchy. Pindling remains prime minister until 1992. That year the Free National Movement of Hubert Ingraham wins the elections. Ingraham becomes prime minister. Ingrahim remains prime minister until 2002, but that year the FNM loses the elections. Perry G. Christie of the PLP becomes the new prime minister.