Page 105 - The Virgin Islands

TAkE A STROll BACk IN TImE USVI FUN FACT 5
6
Journey to a faraway place — the past. Over the years, explorers, pirates, kings and queens have all sought The first people arrived
the natural splendor of our shores. Seven nations have governed our land, leaving behind a rich tapestry of in the U.S. Virgin Islands in
art, architecture, music and cuisine. All of which makes the perfect backdrop for an unscripted adventure. about 2000 B.C. They were
the first tourists to extend
HISTORIC TImElINE
their visit indefinitely.
2000 – 1521 BC: Native Indians inhabited the Virgin Islands and left their mark on
places like the Reef Bay Trail in St. John

1493: Christopher Columbus sailed into Salt River on St. Croix, claiming the islands for
Spain and renaming it “Santa Cruz”

1580-1670: The USVI was settled by Holland, France, England, Spain, Denmark and
the Knights of Malta

1672: The Danes established the first successful settlement on St. Thomas
1685: A treaty with the Dutch of Brandenburg established St. Thomas as a slave-trading post
1687: The Danish West India and Guinea Company acquired St. John and was settled in 1694
1733: St. Croix was added to the Danish West India and Guinea Company
1733: Slaves attacked Fort Frederiksvaern in St. John
1735: The town of Christiansted was established in St. Croix
1751: Frederiksted was established in St. Croix, designating the island as “Twin City”
1792: Denmark announced the cessation of the trade of humans
July 3, 1848: Freedom was granted to slaves on July 3, 1848, after a slave revolution on St. Croix

led by Moses “Buddhoe” Gottlieb, 17 years before emancipation in the United States
1861: The town of Taphus, now Charlotte Amalie, was built
1912: The first carnival was staged in the final years of Danish occupation and lapsed

during WWI, only to be fully revived in 1952
March 31, 1917: The Virgin Islands was purchased from Denmark for $25 million in gold

and became the U.S. Virgin Islands
February 25, 1927: U.S. citizenship was granted to the inhabitants of the Virgin Islands
1931: The USVI was placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior
1936: The Organic Act was instituted, allowing the President of the U.S. to designate

governors for the USVI
1944: Water Island was purchased by the United States for $10,000 from Denmark and was

transferred to the local government in 1996, deeming it the “Last Virgin”
1956: Laurance S. Rockefeller donated land to the U.S. National Park Service
1970: The people of the U.S. Virgin Islands elected their first governor, Melvin H. Evans
2003: The Legislature passed a bill proclaiming Quelbe the official music of the Virgin Islands

4