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St. Thomas
History & Culture
Historical Highlights:
circa 2500 BC to late 1500's AD: Igneri ("the ancient ones")
and later Arawak and Carib Indians inhabit St. Croix (Burial
grounds have been found in over 40 areas on the island, notable at
Salt River).
1666: The islands' first successful attempt at colonization.
Danes take possession of St. Thomas. Construction begun on
Bluebeard's Castle.
1672 - 1680:Fort
Christian, Located near the waterfront on the east side of Charlotte
Amalie Harbor, is undergoing an historic Rehabilitation. Fort
Christian, built by the Danes between 1672-1680, is the oldest
building in use on St. Thomas and a National Historic Landmark.
Click Here for live video
cam of the progress.Construction Rehabilitation and Webcam by
Tip Top Construction Company.
1674: Governor issues
licenses for the building of four houses with taverns along the
waterfront west of the fort. The taverns are so popular that St.
Thomas comes to be known by seamen as Beer Hall.
1678: Blackbeard Tower constructed.
1685: Danes sign a treaty with the Duchy of Brandenburg to
allow the Brandenburg American Company to establish a slave-trading
post on the island. At the same time, the brothers Nicolai Adolph
Esmit, early governors, give their approval for the use of St.
Thomas as a pirate refuge and stronghold, knowing that the local
merchants would benefit from the open sale or trade of pirate booty
on the city streets. Englishman Edward Tach, better known as the
pirate Blackbeard, begins making port in town.
1691: Town renamed Charlotte Amalie in honor of the wife of
Danish King Christian.
1700-1750: Piracy begins to fade and legitimate trade is on
the up-swing in St. Thomas.
1764: King Frederick V declares St. Thomas a free port.
Charlotte Amalie becomes one of the world's busiest ports and by
1800 is the trading center of the West Indies.
1803: Denmark completely abolishes the slave trade.
1834: End of racial segregation between white and free
blacks decreed.
1839: Compulsory education decreed.
1848: Governor-General Peter von Scholten grants freedom to
the island slaves.
1871: Capitol of the Danish West Indies moves from
Christiansted in St. Croix to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.
1850-1910: Commercial shipping vessels make the switch from
sail power to steam and St. Thomas' importance in ocean commerce
declines.
1917: The Danish West Indies-St. Thomas, St. John, and St.
Croix-are purchased by the United States from Denmark for $25
million in gold and become the United States Virgin Islands under
administration by the US Navy.
1931: The US Department of the Interior takes over the
administration of the islands.
1936: The Organic Act introduces self-government to the
Virgin Islands.
1947: Prosperity returns to the Virgin Islands primarily
because of the region's free-port status and the general increase in
air and sea travel.
1968: The US Congress passes the Elective Governor Act; the
President had appointed previous governors. |
