History of the U.S. Virgin Islands

From Freepedia

The first European to visit the U.S. Virgin Islands was Christopher Columbus, in 1498. The islands were occupied by several nations over the next century, including England, Holland, France, and Denmark. In 1733, the Danish West India Company purchased St. Croix from the French and brought together St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John as the Danish West Indies.

Danish slave trading posts were set up on the islands, and thousands of slaves were used to grow sugar cane to enrich the Danish. However, a slave rebellion in 1848 forced governor Peter von Scholten to officially abolish slavery.

The islands were purchased from the Danish by the United States in 1917.

See also

• History of the Caribbean

References

• "History of the United States Virgin Islands". History of the United States Virgin Islands. URL accessed on September 24, 2005.