Overview
The United States Virgin Islands, officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, is a Caribbean unincorporated territory of the United States. Located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, the territory consists of the main islands of Saint Croix, Saint John, and Saint Thomas, along with 50 other surrounding minor islands and cays. The total land area is 133.73 square miles (346.36 km²), and the territory features a tropical climate. Charlotte Amalie on the island of St. Thomas serves as the capital.
The primary economic activities on the islands are tourism and services.
Etymology
The islands were named Santa Úrsula y las Once Mil Vírgenes by Christopher Columbus in 1493 after the legend of Saint Ursula and the 11,000 virgins. The name was later shortened to the Virgin Islands.
History
Pre-European Contact
The U.S. Virgin Islands were originally inhabited by Arawakan-speaking peoples, with some scholars believing the islands were inhabited from as early as 1000 BC. The Kalinago (Island Caribs) arrived around the mid-15th century AD.
Early European Settlement
Christopher Columbus, on his second voyage in 1493, is thought to have been the first European to see the islands. Spanish settlers arrived in 1555, followed by English and French settlers on St. Croix from 1625. The islands subsequently became disputed among Spain, France, Great Britain, and the Netherlands.
Danish Period
Denmark–Norway took an interest in the islands, and the Danish West India Company settled on St. Thomas in 1672 and St. John in 1694. Denmark later purchased St. Croix from France in 1733, and the islands became royal Danish colonies in 1754, named the Danish West Indian Islands. The islands proved ideal for sugar plantations, with sugarcane produced by enslaved Africans driving the economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Other plantation crops included cotton and indigo dye. A sizable Jewish community also settled on the islands during the 17th and 18th centuries.
In 1733, St. John was the site of a significant slave rebellion when enslaved Akan–Akwamu from the Gold Coast (modern Ghana) took control of the island for six months. The Danish defeated the rebellion with help from the French in Martinique. By 1775, it is estimated that slaves outnumbered Danish settlers by a ratio of 8:1.
After another slave rebellion on St. Croix, slavery was abolished by Governor Peter von Scholten on July 3, 1848, now celebrated as Emancipation Day. Following abolition, strict labor laws were implemented, leading to the 1878 St. Croix labor riot. As plantations became less profitable, Danish settlers abandoned their estates, causing significant population and economic decline. The 1867 hurricane and earthquake with tsunami further devastated the economy. For the remainder of Danish rule, the islands were not economically viable and required significant financial transfers from the Danish state budget.
The United States began to show interest in the islands, with a treaty to purchase St. Thomas and St. John agreed upon in 1867 but never finalized. A second draft treaty negotiated in 1902 was defeated in the Danish parliament in a tie vote. During World War I, fearing potential German seizure of the islands, the United States again approached Denmark about purchasing them. After negotiations, a selling price of $25 million in United States gold coin was agreed, along with reciprocal agreements regarding Greenland. The Treaty of the Danish West Indies was signed on August 4, 1916, and approved by Danish voters in a December 1916 referendum. The deal was finalized on January 17, 1917.
American Period
The United States took possession of the islands on March 31, 1917, and the territory was renamed the Virgin Islands of the United States. The population at the time was approximately 26,000. Transfer Day is now recognized annually as a holiday to commemorate the acquisition of the islands. Rear Admiral James H. Oliver was the first American governor, followed by Paul Martin Pearson, the first civilian governor, who was appointed by Herbert Hoover and inaugurated on March 18, 1931.
U.S. citizenship was granted to many island inhabitants in 1927 and 1932. The Danish West Indian daler was replaced by the U.S. dollar in 1934. The 1936 Organic Act and the 1954 Revised Organic Act established the local government structure. Tourism began developing after World War II and eventually became the most important sector of the islands' economy. The Virgin Islands National Park was established in 1956 on St. John, and by 1959, following the American embargo on travel to Cuba, the U.S. Virgin Islands became a popular tourist destination.
In 1970, Virgin Islanders elected their first governor, Melvin H. Evans. From 1976, the islands worked on creating their own constitution. Water Island, south of St. Thomas, did not become part of the U.S. Virgin Islands territory until 1996, when 50 acres were transferred, with the remaining 200 acres acquired in 2005.
In 1966, Hess Oil began construction of a major oil refinery on St. Croix. Until February 2012, the Hovensa plant was one of the world's largest petroleum refineries, refining 494,000 barrels per day and contributing approximately 20% of territorial GDP. The refinery's closure in 2012 and end of petroleum exports in 2014 created a significant economic crisis. Following acquisition by ArcLight Capital Partners in 2016, Limetree Bay Ventures was formed to refurbish and restart the facility.
Hurricane Hugo struck the islands in 1989, causing catastrophic damage particularly on St. Croix. Hurricane Marilyn hit in 1995, killing eight people and causing more than $2 billion in damage. The islands were subsequently struck by hurricanes Bertha, Georges, Lenny, and Omar in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2008, respectively.