History and Politics

 Early History

Spain

  The Spanish were the first to reach the USVI during the voyage of 1493-1496 and while Christopher Columbus landed, he proceeded to give the islands their original names based off of religious figures such as St. John and St. Thomas ("Spanish" 3). When he landed his first encounter with the Caribs which were a group native people on the islands formed into a battle. Although, he did not form a colony on the islands they kidnapped some natives and had them guide them and their ships to other islands that were nearby.


Danish and West Indies

   After the Spanish left the islands, the Danish took over the islands and since there were very little natives left because of diseases and war. There was a great need for labor and because there was such little population on the islands the Trans-Atlantic slave trade came to the islands in 1673 (Danish "4"). During this time period slaves labored mainly on sugar plantations, cotton and indigo were also grown. Each islands economy skyrocketed through the use of sugar plantations and slave trade. While the economy was booming during the time slave rebellions on St. Croix and St. John was well documented and was not helpful to the slaveholders. On St. Croix slaves were freed because of the legitimate business that took place on the island. A rebellion in 1848 on St. Croix freed 5,000 slaves while another 17,000 remained enslaved the very next day July 3, 1848 slavery on all the islands was abolished.

American Rule

Two of the islands had been in the possession of the Danish since the 17th century and St. Croix since 1733. At the start of the American Civil War the U.S. government became interested in the islands as a Caribbean Naval Base. The Danish ratified a treaty for the sale of the two islands St. Thomas and St. John for $7,500,000 the U.S. senate didn't ratify the treaty because they had concerns because of recent natural disasters. Negotiations then resumed in 1899 and in the year 1902 the U.S. signed a convention to transfer the islands over to the U.S. In, 1917 a treaty was finished, and the U.S. purchased the islands for $25,000,000 and formally took possession of the islands themselves. After the purchase the islands officially became an unincorporated U.S. territory in 1927. The islands have been under the supervision of the United States since the purchase and citizens on the islands are automatic U.S. citizens as well.


Sources -

“History of the United States Virgin Islands.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_Virgin_Islands. 

“Treaty of the Danish West Indies.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Feb. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_the_Danish_West_Indies. 

“Virgin Islands History.” Virgin Islands, Team Virgin Islands, 26 June 2019, www.vinow.com/general_usvi/history/. 

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