USA US Virgin Is. - The History : USA  

USA US Virgin Is. - The History - Travel guide

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USA US Virgin Is. - The History

The History

The first residents of the present United States Virgin Islands (USVI)were the Ciboney, Caribs, and Arawaks. In 1493, Christopher Columbus visited these islands. He had been searching for a route to India and so he called the people Indians. Columbus named the beautiful islands 'The Virgins' in reference to the legendary beauty of St. Ursula and her 11,000 virgins.

Columbus' visit would prove to be the demise of the indigenous 'Indians'. They had no immunity to European diseases that the explorers brought with them. Nor were the 'Indians' prepared to deal with the harsh work the explorers forced them to do. Within several decades following Columbus' visit the 'Indian' populations had plummeted. Today they no longer exist in the USVI.

The islands went through a period of sleep after Columbus' visit. They awakened to have Holland, France, England, Spain, Denmark and the Knights of Malta seeking to settle in the islands. Between the attempted settlements, pirates and buccaneers also showed a great interest in the islands. The Danish West India Company successfully established a settlement on St. Thomas in 1672 and on St. John in 1694.

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. Early governors also approved of St. Thomas becoming a pirates' safe haven. The governors realized an influx of pirates would benefit local merchants. But while piracy ceased to be a factor in the island's economy in the early 19th century, slave trade continued.

The three islands, St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John, were known as the Danish West Indies. The islands became major sugar producers relying on slavery to keep the economy strong. Slavery was abolished by Denmark in 1848. Thereafter, planters began to abandon their estates. The population and economy in the islands declined.

The islands remained Danish colonies until 1917, when the United States purchased them for $25 million in gold.

The islands were purchased to improve military positioning during critical times of World War I. The Virgin Islands were used as a defense center during World War II. In the years after the end of World War II, the USVI moved into a new position as a tourist destination.

The territory is under the jurisdiction of the president of the United States of America. People born in the USVI are American citizens.

The islands of St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John and Water Island entered the new millennium as one of the premiere destinations for tourist visiting the Caribbean.