U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS HISTORY & CULTURE |
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The U.S. Virgin Islands is much more than beautiful beaches and exquisite shopping. The islands are a treasure of history and culture dating back thousands of years. Upon arriving in 1493 during his second voyage from Europe, Christopher Columbus named the archipelago the "Virgin Islands" after the legend about Saint Ursula and her eleven thousand virgins. However, these islands were first inhabited by Ciboney (2,000 B.C), Arawak (100 A.D.), Carib, and Taino indigenous peoples (1300s).
In common with the rest of the Caribbean, the islands endured various waves of European invasion and settlement from the time of Columbus' arrival. A constant state of war existed between the Caribs and the Spaniards for nearly a century. Charles V of Spain declared that all indigenous people in the islands were enemies and should be eliminated. Within several decades following colonization of the Caribbean, indigenous populations had plummeted. Explorers as late as 1587 reported evidence of native islander habitation. However, by 1625 settlers reported not finding any indigenous people. After a long period of Spanish control, other European powers got involved in trade and shipping to the Caribbean. From the early 1600's they tried to establish colonies of their own which could produce the costly colonial commodities, first and foremost sugar and tobacco. Holland, France, England, Spain, Denmark, and the Knights of Malta all sought colonies in the Virgin Islands. The islands also became a top looting destination for pirates and a place to conceal treasure.
In common with the rest of the Caribbean, the islands endured various waves of European invasion and settlement from the time of Columbus' arrival. A constant state of war existed between the Caribs and the Spaniards for nearly a century. Charles V of Spain declared that all indigenous people in the islands were enemies and should be eliminated. Within several decades following colonization of the Caribbean, indigenous populations had plummeted. Explorers as late as 1587 reported evidence of native islander habitation. However, by 1625 settlers reported not finding any indigenous people. After a long period of Spanish control, other European powers got involved in trade and shipping to the Caribbean. From the early 1600's they tried to establish colonies of their own which could produce the costly colonial commodities, first and foremost sugar and tobacco. Holland, France, England, Spain, Denmark, and the Knights of Malta all sought colonies in the Virgin Islands. The islands also became a top looting destination for pirates and a place to conceal treasure.
(1666 - 1848) Danish ColonIZATION aND The Transatlantic Enslavement and Trade of African People
In 1666, the Danes settled on St. Thomas. The island was occupied in the name of the King of Denmark by Erik Smith. However, because of difficulties in cooperating with the British and Dutch who were already living on the small island, and because of illness, Smith and most of his compatriots died. After a year and a half, the surviving Danes gave up their plans and temporarily left the island. In 1671, the Danish West India Company was founded, and a second expeditionary force from Denmark to St. Thomas arrived in 1672. Part of the charter of the Danish West India Company indicated that the Danish government would supply the company with as many male convicts as necessary for working the plantations and as many women, who were under arrest, as needed. Authorities would soon learn that convicts did not make good workers! The officials in St. Thomas would quickly welcome colonists from other neighboring islands and rely on enslaved African people for labor. Many Dutch settlers seeped in from neighboring islands. Consequently, from the very beginning Dutch was the dominant language. In 1673 a ship of 103 enslaved Africans was sent to St. Thomas. Another 24 Africans were added in 1675, and 16 Africans were added in 1678. These were the first of many enslaved Africans brought to the island. In 1680 the population was 156 Europeans and 175 Africans. They built a fort called "Fort Christian" after the King at the fine natural harbor to protect the town, which eventually emerged and was named "Charlotte Amalie" after the Queen.
In 1685, the Danish government signed a treaty with the Dutch of Brandenburg. This treaty allowed the Brandenburg American Company to establish a slave-trading post on St. Thomas. Between 1691 and 1715 the population of St. Thomas grew from 389 to 547 Europeans and from 555 to 3,042 Africans. The neighboring smaller island of St. John was annexed in 1718. In 1733 the Danish West India Company bought the island of St. Croix from France in order to expand the sugar plantations, bringing St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John together as the Danish West Indies. In the Danish West Indies enslaved African people labored mainly on sugar plantations because of the intense heat and fertile terrain which provided ideal growing conditions. However, tobacco, indigo, and other crops were also grown. Raw sugar, rum, tobacco, and small amounts of cotton were exported to Denmark with raw sugar being, by far, the most important product. Much of the sugar was reexported from Copenhagen to foreign ports in the Baltic, England, France, and the Netherlands, etc. While piracy ceased to be a factor in the island’s economy in the early 1800's, the slave trade continued.
St. Croix was growing rapidly with its population almost doubling St. Thomas’ and St. John’s combined. The capital was moved from St. Thomas to Christiansted, St. Croix. In 1755 the Danish crown dissolved the Danish West India Company and took over the Danish West Indies colony. The Governor General was in charge of everything thereafter and ruled the islands assisted by a number of Danish civil and military officials. Thus, priests, customs officers, judges, schoolmasters, clerks, officers, and private soldiers, etc. were Danes, and the official language was Danish. By far, most planters and merchants, on the other hand, were of other nationalities who often immigrated from other islands in the Caribbean to the socially tolerant and politically neutral Danish West Indies where almost everybody was welcome who wished to settle here. This meant that the majority of well-to-do people were foreigners. However, because the islands formerly belonged to Great Britain during the British invasions and occupations from 1801-1802 and again from 1807-1815, the inhabitants were English in customs and in language, but Dutch and French was also often heard and read in the small society. The African inhabitants often spoke Creole among themselves.
By 1778, it was estimated that the Danish were bringing about 3,000 Africans to the Danish West Indies yearly for enslavement to work the plantations where they endured daily grueling labor and extremely harsh punishments. While St. Croix developed a typical plantation economy, St. Thomas’ economy shifted to trade. St. Thomas was made a free port (goods were received and shipped free of customs duty) in 1815. In the years following it became a shipping center and distributing point for the West Indies. Charlotte Amalie flourished commercially. Large and small importing houses, belonging to English, French, German, Italian, American, Spanish, Sephardim, and Danish owners were thriving. A large part of all West Indian trade was channeled through the harbor. Of the 14,000 inhabitants, many of them free, only about 2,500 (mostly enslaved Africans) gained their living on plantations. A substantial segment of free Africans worked as clerks, shop keepers, and artisans. The population and atmosphere of St. Thomas was very cosmopolitan, particularly in comparison to its sister island of St. Croix where plantation life was the norm.
In 1685, the Danish government signed a treaty with the Dutch of Brandenburg. This treaty allowed the Brandenburg American Company to establish a slave-trading post on St. Thomas. Between 1691 and 1715 the population of St. Thomas grew from 389 to 547 Europeans and from 555 to 3,042 Africans. The neighboring smaller island of St. John was annexed in 1718. In 1733 the Danish West India Company bought the island of St. Croix from France in order to expand the sugar plantations, bringing St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John together as the Danish West Indies. In the Danish West Indies enslaved African people labored mainly on sugar plantations because of the intense heat and fertile terrain which provided ideal growing conditions. However, tobacco, indigo, and other crops were also grown. Raw sugar, rum, tobacco, and small amounts of cotton were exported to Denmark with raw sugar being, by far, the most important product. Much of the sugar was reexported from Copenhagen to foreign ports in the Baltic, England, France, and the Netherlands, etc. While piracy ceased to be a factor in the island’s economy in the early 1800's, the slave trade continued.
St. Croix was growing rapidly with its population almost doubling St. Thomas’ and St. John’s combined. The capital was moved from St. Thomas to Christiansted, St. Croix. In 1755 the Danish crown dissolved the Danish West India Company and took over the Danish West Indies colony. The Governor General was in charge of everything thereafter and ruled the islands assisted by a number of Danish civil and military officials. Thus, priests, customs officers, judges, schoolmasters, clerks, officers, and private soldiers, etc. were Danes, and the official language was Danish. By far, most planters and merchants, on the other hand, were of other nationalities who often immigrated from other islands in the Caribbean to the socially tolerant and politically neutral Danish West Indies where almost everybody was welcome who wished to settle here. This meant that the majority of well-to-do people were foreigners. However, because the islands formerly belonged to Great Britain during the British invasions and occupations from 1801-1802 and again from 1807-1815, the inhabitants were English in customs and in language, but Dutch and French was also often heard and read in the small society. The African inhabitants often spoke Creole among themselves.
By 1778, it was estimated that the Danish were bringing about 3,000 Africans to the Danish West Indies yearly for enslavement to work the plantations where they endured daily grueling labor and extremely harsh punishments. While St. Croix developed a typical plantation economy, St. Thomas’ economy shifted to trade. St. Thomas was made a free port (goods were received and shipped free of customs duty) in 1815. In the years following it became a shipping center and distributing point for the West Indies. Charlotte Amalie flourished commercially. Large and small importing houses, belonging to English, French, German, Italian, American, Spanish, Sephardim, and Danish owners were thriving. A large part of all West Indian trade was channeled through the harbor. Of the 14,000 inhabitants, many of them free, only about 2,500 (mostly enslaved Africans) gained their living on plantations. A substantial segment of free Africans worked as clerks, shop keepers, and artisans. The population and atmosphere of St. Thomas was very cosmopolitan, particularly in comparison to its sister island of St. Croix where plantation life was the norm.
(1733 - 1848) REVOLUTION AND EMANCIPATION
Enslaved Africans resisted throughout the transatlantic slave trade from its inception in the early 1600's to the late 1800's. They resisted capture and enslavement in Africa and later on slave ships coming to the New World. They resisted slavery in the plantation fields and in the plantation Great House. They fought for their freedom and liberation, and many were killed in that cause. Some even committed infanticide and suicide as forms of resistance. Throughout the western hemisphere, newly arrived Africans, especially from the Yòrúbà and Akan ethnic groups, mounted the most dramatic insurrectionist activities. The 1733 slave insurrection on St. John started on November 23, 1733 when enslaved Africans of the Akwamu ethnic group (Akan) revolted against the owners and managers of the island's plantations. The rebellion was one of the earliest and longest slave revolts in the Americas. The Akwamu people captured the fort in Coral Bay and took control of most of the island intending to resume crop production under their own control using other ethnic Africans as labor. The revolt ended in mid-1734 when several hundred French and Swiss troops sent from Martinique defeated the Akwamu. The successful Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) was carried out by a largely Yòrúbà enslaved Africans. It impacted the institution of slavery throughout the Americas. The legacy of the Revolution was that it challenged long-held beliefs about African inferiority and of the enslaved person's capacity to achieve and maintain freedom. It was the only slave uprising that led to the founding of a state free from slavery and ruled by non-Europeans and former captives. The rebels' organizational capacity and tenacity under pressure became the source of stories that shocked and frightened slave owners.
In 1792, the King of Denmark established a commission to investigate the slave trade. The commissioners found the mortality high and fertility low among the enslaved Africans, and that the population in the Danish West Indies was considered too small to reproduce itself. which in St. Croix alone amounted to approximately 22,000 enslaved Africans, while there lived 1,000 free Africans and 2,000 Europeans on that island. Enslaved Africans outnumbered the European settlers by a ratio of 5:1. Therefore, the King resolved that the Danish slave trade across the Atlantic should be abolished as from 1803. The motives behind this very first ban on slave trade were humane, economic, and political. Imports of new enslaved Africans was encouraged, however, in the meantime, and until 1802 the enslaved African population of the Danish West Indies increased from 25,000 to 35,000 persons.
Inspired by the Haitian Revolution, anti-slavery rebellions broke out in Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Barbados, Guyana, Curaçao, Martinique, Guadeloupe, the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, the United States, Columbia, and Venezuela in the early 1800's. Other nations abolished slavery in their Caribbean colonies, for example, Britain in 1834 and Sweden in 1843. In 1848, revolutions broke out several places in the world including France, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Italy, and the Austrian Empire. The desire for freedom also spread to the enslaved people in the Danish colony in the West Indies. On July 2, 1848 they rose up in a well-planned rebellion in Frederiksted, St. Croix led by a free man of African descent, John "Moses" Gottlieb, also known as General Buddhoe. Plantations were burned down, and the city of Frederiksted was besieged by rebels, so only the city’s fort, Fort Frederiksvaern, remained in Danish hands. Hundreds of enslaved Africans assembled outside the fort. They declared they would not be working the next day and shouted for their freedom. By the next morning, thousands of them had gathered. Two-thousand organized, enslaved people marched into Frederiksted from the northwest and north coast estates, joining others from Ham's Bluff and other estates along Centerline Road. During the uprising, there were few reports of violence, thanks to Buddhoe, who stopped the enslaved people from rioting and kept them focused on obtaining their freedom. Enslaved African women were seen dragging sugar cane tops near the fort in preparation to burn the fort and town if any shots were fired from the fort or if they did not receive their freedom.
The people gave Governor-General Peter von Scholten a 4 p.m. deadline to liberate them. Realizing that they were serious and not just venting frustration, the Governor-General came the following day to Frederiksted. According to historical accounts, by 10 a.m. about 8,000 enslaved people had gathered in front of the fort demanding their freedom. Von Scholten was under heavy pressure and chose to officially declare slavery abolished with immediate effect on July 3, 1848. He called out over the enraged people: “Now you are free, you are hereby emancipated”, in direct contradiction of King Christian VIII’s orders. As the word "freedom" rang through the air, the former enslaved people rejoiced. Pandemonium broke out, and there was singing and dancing in the streets and countryside. Plantation owners refused to accept the proclamation. Subsequently, Von Scholten was ferociously attacked for his decision by leading members of the Danish West Indian government and by the plantation owners and stood trial in Denmark for his actions...but the people were free!
In 1792, the King of Denmark established a commission to investigate the slave trade. The commissioners found the mortality high and fertility low among the enslaved Africans, and that the population in the Danish West Indies was considered too small to reproduce itself. which in St. Croix alone amounted to approximately 22,000 enslaved Africans, while there lived 1,000 free Africans and 2,000 Europeans on that island. Enslaved Africans outnumbered the European settlers by a ratio of 5:1. Therefore, the King resolved that the Danish slave trade across the Atlantic should be abolished as from 1803. The motives behind this very first ban on slave trade were humane, economic, and political. Imports of new enslaved Africans was encouraged, however, in the meantime, and until 1802 the enslaved African population of the Danish West Indies increased from 25,000 to 35,000 persons.
Inspired by the Haitian Revolution, anti-slavery rebellions broke out in Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Barbados, Guyana, Curaçao, Martinique, Guadeloupe, the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, the United States, Columbia, and Venezuela in the early 1800's. Other nations abolished slavery in their Caribbean colonies, for example, Britain in 1834 and Sweden in 1843. In 1848, revolutions broke out several places in the world including France, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Italy, and the Austrian Empire. The desire for freedom also spread to the enslaved people in the Danish colony in the West Indies. On July 2, 1848 they rose up in a well-planned rebellion in Frederiksted, St. Croix led by a free man of African descent, John "Moses" Gottlieb, also known as General Buddhoe. Plantations were burned down, and the city of Frederiksted was besieged by rebels, so only the city’s fort, Fort Frederiksvaern, remained in Danish hands. Hundreds of enslaved Africans assembled outside the fort. They declared they would not be working the next day and shouted for their freedom. By the next morning, thousands of them had gathered. Two-thousand organized, enslaved people marched into Frederiksted from the northwest and north coast estates, joining others from Ham's Bluff and other estates along Centerline Road. During the uprising, there were few reports of violence, thanks to Buddhoe, who stopped the enslaved people from rioting and kept them focused on obtaining their freedom. Enslaved African women were seen dragging sugar cane tops near the fort in preparation to burn the fort and town if any shots were fired from the fort or if they did not receive their freedom.
The people gave Governor-General Peter von Scholten a 4 p.m. deadline to liberate them. Realizing that they were serious and not just venting frustration, the Governor-General came the following day to Frederiksted. According to historical accounts, by 10 a.m. about 8,000 enslaved people had gathered in front of the fort demanding their freedom. Von Scholten was under heavy pressure and chose to officially declare slavery abolished with immediate effect on July 3, 1848. He called out over the enraged people: “Now you are free, you are hereby emancipated”, in direct contradiction of King Christian VIII’s orders. As the word "freedom" rang through the air, the former enslaved people rejoiced. Pandemonium broke out, and there was singing and dancing in the streets and countryside. Plantation owners refused to accept the proclamation. Subsequently, Von Scholten was ferociously attacked for his decision by leading members of the Danish West Indian government and by the plantation owners and stood trial in Denmark for his actions...but the people were free!
(1850's - early 1900's) fIREBURN
Between 1820 and 1840, the sugar beet became a feasible source of manufacturing sugar throughout Europe. Since the sugar beet could be grown in Europe, it made no sense to send ships across the Atlantic for a product that could cheaply be produced in Europe’s native soil. The impact of this new source of sugar was catastrophic to the local Danish West Indies economy. However, with the increase of steamships in the 1840’s St. Thomas continued forward by becoming a coaling station for ships running between South and North America. Shipping lines made Charlotte Amalie their headquarters and the chief station of the steam-packets between Southampton in England and the West Indies. The Danish harbor, thus, became the center of the Royal Mail’s extensive activities in the Caribbean. Soon, one of the harbor’s most important products became bunker coal. Coaling ships was an occupation largely filled by women. However, later advancements in steam and the political climate made it possible for Spanish and English islands to import directly from producers, therefore skipping St. Thomas. By the 1850's the Danish West Indies had a total population of about 41,000 people. By the 1860’s the end of prosperity loomed in the horizon. Planters began to abandon their estates and the population and economy in the islands declined.
Even after the abolition of slavery, strict labor laws were implemented several times, and working conditions in the Danish colony were very difficult. Formerly enslaved people were not given much better conditions as free men and women, not when it came to housing, healthcare, education, or finances. Frustration and unrest were brewing. In October 1878, a violent labor rebellion known as "Fireburn" took place in which houses, sugar mills, sugar fields, and over half the city of Frederiksted, St. Croix burned down. Although it was initially a peaceful gathering, the crowd began to become violent after rumors circulated, including a rumor that a laborer had been hospitalized but was mistreated and died in police custody. Direct casualties of the rebellion include the deaths of 60 African laborers, 2 soldiers, and 14 women who died in an explosion. Additionally, 12 laborers were condemned to death and hanged. Three women, Mary Thomas, Axeline Elizabeth "Agnes" Salomon, and Mathilda McBean, were especially active in the rebellion. They were given long prison sentences and transferred to the women’s prison at Christianshavn in Denmark. Today, they are considered heroines in the islands and known as the "Three Queens". One year after the events of Fireburn, in October 1879, new contracts were written which would supposedly increase wages for laborers. However, these contracts were weighted in favor of the plantation owners and, thus, resulted in little to no improvement in the laborers' lives. The islands and its residents fell on tough times in the late 1800's through early 1900's due to the poor economy and numerous natural disasters including hurricanes and a tsunami.
Even after the abolition of slavery, strict labor laws were implemented several times, and working conditions in the Danish colony were very difficult. Formerly enslaved people were not given much better conditions as free men and women, not when it came to housing, healthcare, education, or finances. Frustration and unrest were brewing. In October 1878, a violent labor rebellion known as "Fireburn" took place in which houses, sugar mills, sugar fields, and over half the city of Frederiksted, St. Croix burned down. Although it was initially a peaceful gathering, the crowd began to become violent after rumors circulated, including a rumor that a laborer had been hospitalized but was mistreated and died in police custody. Direct casualties of the rebellion include the deaths of 60 African laborers, 2 soldiers, and 14 women who died in an explosion. Additionally, 12 laborers were condemned to death and hanged. Three women, Mary Thomas, Axeline Elizabeth "Agnes" Salomon, and Mathilda McBean, were especially active in the rebellion. They were given long prison sentences and transferred to the women’s prison at Christianshavn in Denmark. Today, they are considered heroines in the islands and known as the "Three Queens". One year after the events of Fireburn, in October 1879, new contracts were written which would supposedly increase wages for laborers. However, these contracts were weighted in favor of the plantation owners and, thus, resulted in little to no improvement in the laborers' lives. The islands and its residents fell on tough times in the late 1800's through early 1900's due to the poor economy and numerous natural disasters including hurricanes and a tsunami.
(1917 - present) Purchase by the united states and tourism
Denmark eventually sold the islands for 25 million dollars in gold to the United States, which took over the administration on March 31, 1917, renaming the islands the "United States Virgin Islands" with Charlotte Amalie as the capital. The purchase was made because of the islands' strategic position near the approach to the Panama Canal and because of a fear that Germany might seize them to use as U-boat bases during World War I. U.S. citizenship was finally granted to the residents of the islands in 1927. They have served in the U.S. military ever since and were even drafted for World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Yet, residents were never granted the right to vote for the President of the United States, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The Military and the Interior Departments managed the territory until the passage of the Organic Act in 1936. A measure of self-government was introduced in 1954 along with the introduction of an elected Senate. Governors were appointed from 1931 until 1969 when the first elected governor took office. The territory is under the jurisdiction of the President of the United States of America and currently an organized, unincorporated United States territory. The Virgin Islands saw the dawn of new, more prosperous times as tourists seeking the the warmth, beauty, and relaxation vacationed in the islands. Hotels, restaurants, and shops began popping up on beach front properties and in main towns. With the rise in business and economy came a rise in the population as immigrants from neighboring islands flocked to the U.S.V.I. to work.
The population of the U.S.V.I. is made up of people from all over the Caribbean. Presently, almost every island in the Caribbean is represented in the Virgin Islands, from St. Kitts to Trinidad and Dominica to Anguilla. In addition to African and European descendants, Taino descendants still exist in these islands as well. Many are descendants of both Taino and African peoples. The various peoples who settled in the islands include East Indians and Middle Easterners. In 1996, Water Island, located in St. Thomas’ Charlotte Amalie harbor, was officially returned to the U.S.V.I. from the Department of the Interior and became the fourth main United States Virgin Island in addition to many other surrounding minor islands. The islands entered the new millennium as one of the premiere destinations for tourists visiting the Caribbean. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the U.S. Virgin Islands is 106, 405. The population of St. Thomas is 51, 634.
The population of the U.S.V.I. is made up of people from all over the Caribbean. Presently, almost every island in the Caribbean is represented in the Virgin Islands, from St. Kitts to Trinidad and Dominica to Anguilla. In addition to African and European descendants, Taino descendants still exist in these islands as well. Many are descendants of both Taino and African peoples. The various peoples who settled in the islands include East Indians and Middle Easterners. In 1996, Water Island, located in St. Thomas’ Charlotte Amalie harbor, was officially returned to the U.S.V.I. from the Department of the Interior and became the fourth main United States Virgin Island in addition to many other surrounding minor islands. The islands entered the new millennium as one of the premiere destinations for tourists visiting the Caribbean. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the U.S. Virgin Islands is 106, 405. The population of St. Thomas is 51, 634.
Recommended Reading
- The Amerindians & Their Legacy in the Virgin Islands by Dr. Aimery Caron
- The 1688 Census of the Danish West Indies - Translated by Gary Horlacher. Edited and Annotated by David W. Knight Sr.
- The Danish Port of Charlotte Amalia (1790-1803) by Dr. Aimery Caron
- St. Thomas 1803 Crossroads of the Diaspora (The 1803 Proceedings and Register of the Free Coloreds) - Edited and compiled by David W. Knight Sr. & Laurette deT. Prime. Translation of the Danish Text by Dr. Gary T. Horlacher. Introduction to the Register by H. B. Hoff.
- Emancipation: The Virgin Islands of the United States Celebrates Its 150 Year Anniversary 1848 - July 3, 1998 by Erik J. Lawaetz
- St. Thomas & St. John Historic Photos 1855-1917 by Elizabeth Rezende and Anne Walbom
- Cruz Bay From Conquest to Exploitation, A Forgotten History by David W. Knight Sr.
- America's Virgin Islands: A History of Human Rights and Wrongs by William W. Boyer
- The German Empire & The American Purchase of the Danish West Indies by Dr. Aimery Caron
- Virgin Island Exodus
- The Virgin Islands and Their People by J. Antonio Jarvis
- Virgin Islands Picture Book by J. Antonio Jarvis
- Daily News Centennial Collection Edition
- Through the Sands of Time: A History of the Jewish Community of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (Brandeis Series in American Jewish History, Culture, and Life) by Judah M. Cohen
- History of the Virgin Islands (University Press of the West Indies, 2000)
- Caribbean Pirates, by Warren Alleyne
- Plantation and Town: Historic Architecture of the U.S. Virgin Islands by Pamela Gosner
Videos: U.S. Virgin Islands History
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Video: How Did Tainos Get Here? |
Video: Akwamu Slave Revolt on St. John - November 23, 1733 |
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Video: 1900 - A Sunday in St. Thomas, Danish West Indies |
Video: U.S. Virgin Islands Transfer Day - March 31, 1917 |
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Video: U.S. Virgin Islands Flag - May 17, 1921 |
Video: President Herbert Hoover visits St. Thomas, USVI March 25, 1931 |
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Video: 1936 - St. Thomas, Virgin Islands Travelogue |
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Video: Proudly We Served: Virgin Islands Veterans of World War II Drafted |
Video: Proudly We Served: Virgin Islands Veterans of World War II Infiltration Course |
Videos: U.S. Virgin Islands Culture |
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Video: Enrich Your Understanding
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Video: Celebrating Our Culture
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Video: Live How We Live |
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Video: Virgin Islands History and the Bamboula Dance |
Video: Bamboula Dancing, Ancestral Dance of the Virgin Islands |
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Video: Maypole Dancing to Quelbe Music |
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Video: Steel Pan Music |
Video: "Cariso" Folktale Storytelling |
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Video: Delroy Anthony - Artist, Musician, and Medicinal Plant Expert |
Video: Delroy Anthony - Folkloric Song Medley |
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Video: Crafts
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Video: Aubrey Artworks Art Show
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Charlotte Amalie has a wealth of historic buildings that provide a glimpse into colonial life. It is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places as an area of particular historic interest. Often referred to as Downtown or just Town, the stylish boutiques and shops on each side of picturesque Main Street were once Danish warehouses. Piers once dotted the Waterfront area providing landing and loading space for trading ships. There are several historic sites, museums, and places of worship that can enrich your knowledge of these islands, our history, people and culture. Learn more>>
