Page 1598 - Dive the Seas and More-2
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1580 Sir Francis Drake sails the channel 1764 St. Thomas is declared a free port for
north of St. John and uses St. Thomas to trade by Danish King Frederik V.
stage raids against Spanish ships, plus for
attacks at San Juan. 1792 Danish abolish slave trading.
1625 St. Croix is settled by Dutch and 1801 British gain control of islands.
British.
1807-1815 British take St. Thomas and St.
1645 Dutch leave St. Croix. Croix during Napoleanic Wars, but return
them to Denmark.
1650 French take over at St. Croix. 1848 Gov. General Peter von Scholten
frees all Danish West Indies slaves.
1653 French give St. Croix to Knights of
Malta. 1865 U.S. tries to buy the Danish West
Indies.
1666-1671 Denmark takes St. John and
St. Thomas. Danish West India and 1871 Charlotte Amalie is again made the
Guinea Company formed for the purpose capital.
of trade.
1902 U.S. again tries to buy the islands.
1673 African slaves arrive at St. Thomas.
1917 U.S. at last buys the islands from
1685 St. Thomas a center for slave Denmark to prevent Germany from
trading. making a submarine base.
1695 French leave St. Croix for good. 1941 U.S. defense military base built on
St. Thomas.
1717 Danes settle St. John.
1956 Pres. Eisenhower creates V. I.
1733 Great slave rebellion on St. Thomas. National Park.
St. Croix is sold by France to Danish West
India Company. 1960 Tourism to islands begins.
1751 Fredriksted, St. Croix founded. 1970 First popularly elected governor of
islands.
1755 Danish West India Company
dissolved. Danish West Indies capital 1989 Hurricane Hugo shreds St. Croix.
moved to Chritiansted.
1995 Hurricane Marilyn smacks the
islands.
