Indigenous peoples were the first occupants of this Caribbean archipelago. When Christopher Columbus made landfall in 1493, he believed he had found the sea route to India, so he called the inhabitants “Indians.” Columbus named the beautiful islands for the legend of Saint Ursula and her martyred virgins.
Sometime between 1587 and 1625, the indigenous people disappeared. Most historians believe that the Spanish settlers in nearby Puerto Rico abducted the Indians for slave labor. Their raids caused some to flee, but many were captured and put to work on Spanish-controlled islands. European diseases ravaged the population of Indians, and those who remained died from their hard work and brutal treatment.
Holland, England, Spain, Denmark, and France were vying for the islands’ control and colonization. The religious Order of the Knights of Malta also attempted to stake a claim. The Danish West India Company’s settlement sprang up on the island of St. Thomas in 1665, followed by another colony on St. John. The Danish West Indies when, in 1733, the Danes purchased St. Croix from the French.
A fourth island in the harbor at Charlotte Amalie, Water Island, has a long history of changing owners and myriad uses. Initially, pirate ships would anchor there to go ashore to stock up on fresh water. The DWIC grazed animals there to feed their workers. There were two plantations growing cotton and livestock, both owned by men of color. The Danish East Asiatic Company sold to the US military, who built a fort during WW2. It became the fourth island in 1996.
The Danes brought an agricultural economy to the islands, starting with St. John. Sugar cane, indigo, and cotton were grown on plantations, leading to a need for bodies to work in the fields. The enslavement of Africans became the solution for maintaining a place in global trade. In 1685 the Brandenburg American Company established a slave-trading post on St. Thomas; around the same time, officials on the islands welcomed pirates who would spend their money in the local shops. By the early 18th century, few pirates remained; however, the slave trade continued to be brisk. Slave rebellions occurred on the agricultural islands of St. John and St. Croix, while St. Thomas became a hub of commerce and mercantilism. Freed slaves on St. Thomas had more significant opportunities to build their lives and enjoy freedom. 1848 saw the emancipation of the slaves by a liberal governor who had been pushing the issue for many years. Although plantation owners protested, and despite the Danish Monarch’s decree to preserve slavery, 17,000 slaves gained their freedom, joining 5,000 already-freed men and women.
After emancipation, there continued to be economic unrest. The plantation owners eventually packed up and left. Natural disasters and a floundering economy furthered the decline of wealth and trade, and by the late 19th century, hard times had arrived.
With World War One on the horizon, the US government bought the US Virgin Islands from the Danes to secure a strategic base. The US Navy and the US Department of the interior were responsible for the governance of the islands. In the 1930s, the USVI became a US territory, with a governor and US citizens. USVI citizens elect a delegate to Congress; however, they are not allowed to vote; neither are USVI citizens permitted to vote in elections.
The National Park Service has jurisdiction over a large percentage of the USVI landmass, starting with a gift of 5,000 acres on St. John, courtesy of the Rockefellers.
Since the mid-20th century, the USVI has been a desirable holiday destination. Booking a customizable term sailing charter with Max Charters is the best way to see all the fascinating, historical points of interest that the U.S. Virgin Islands have to offer.