Revered no more: the statue of Bristol slave-trader Edward Colston is torn down. Ben Birchall/PA Wire/PA Images June 8, 2020 Edward Colston statue toppled: how Bristol came to see the slave trader as a hero and philanthropist James Watts, University of Bristol The statue was part of a push in the Victorian era to create mercantile heroes. Colston’s slaving activities were conveniently glossed over.
