History of the United States Virgin Islands

The earliest inhabitants of the island may be Arawak Indians, but when Columbus landed on St. Chloe Island in 1493, the island was inhabited by militant Caribbean people. They have large areas of farmland and settlements on the island. Columbus named these islands St. ursula Island and Eleven thousand St. ursula Island to commemorate the legendary St. ursula Island and 65,438+065,438+0,000 sun virgins (lifelong virgins). 1555, a Spanish expedition defeated the Caribbean and claimed that the islands belonged to Spain, but by 1625, British and French colonists were farming on St. Chloe Island, which became a safe haven for pirates. 1650, the Spanish expelled the British immigrants who stayed on the island, but the French occupied these islands later that year. 1653, St. Chloe gave it to the Order of Malta as required, but they sold it to the French West India Company. Dutch pirates built their nests in tortora, but in 1666, the British drove them away. At this time, the Danes claimed that St. Thomas and St. John belonged to them. The Danes divided the two islands into several plantations and began to grow sugar cane. At first, prisoners were used for their training, and after 1673, African slaves were used as labor. Commerce began in triangle trade: they trafficked slaves from Africa, transported rum and syrup to Europe, and then shipped European goods back to the islands. St Thomas became the main slave market in the Caribbean. The Danes bought St. Chloe Island in 1733 and became the main center of sugarcane production. Alexander hamilton, American politician, was born in Nevis in 1755. He was taken to St. Chloe's Island on 1765, where he worked as an accountant. /kloc-At the beginning of the 9th century, the sugar industry began to decline, and two slave riots shook the plantation economy. 1848 after the abolition of slavery, the United States began negotiations with Denmark to purchase islands. The United States bought these islands for $25 million. Originally under the jurisdiction of the US Navy, it was handed over to the Ministry of the Interior in 193 1, and a civilian governor was appointed by the President to manage the islands. 1945 began to develop tourism. The Organic Law of the Virgin Islands was amended in 1954, and the current government structure was established immediately. 1970, the first elected governor took office, 1976, the islands were granted the right to draft the constitution, but it must be approved by the US Congress and the President. The constitution was drafted in 1978, but it was rejected by a referendum in 1979, and it was rejected again after being revised in198/0/year. From 1960 to 1975, immigrants from the mainland of the United States, the eastern Caribbean and Puerto Rico flooded in, causing social tension between islanders and new immigrants.