HISTORY
The first
inhabitants of the U S Virgin Islands were most likely immigrants
from South America, but the
name Virgin Islands has been attributed to the islands 13th century
"discoverer", Christopher Columbus. Las Isla
Virgenes is, reportedly, a reference to both virgin forests and St.
Ursula's martyred virgins.
Since Columbus landed in 1493,
seven flags have flown over the islands - Spain, Knights of Malta,
France, England, Holland, Denmark and the United States.
By the late 1600s, the
Virgin Islands had become a major base for the slave trade and one
of Europe's major suppliers of cane sugar. Until the early 19th
century, piracy also served as a major part of the Islands' economy. One
of the most famous pirates was Black Beard aka Edward Teach.
In 1917, the United States bought
the Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25
million in gold
in order to prevent Germany from using it as a submarine base during
world War I. It wasn't until the 1950's that the Virgin Islands became
an important destination for American vacationers and snow birds - those
who winter on the islands.
Currently, the United States Virgin
Islands is a U.S. territory. In 1927, Virgin Islanders were granted U.S.
citizenship but do not vote in national elections. Until the
passage of 1936's Organic Act gave it the right to self-governance, the
Territory was managed by the Departments of Defense and Interior.
In 1996,
after years of being owned by the Department of Interior, Water Island became the new
est
addition to the US Virgin Islands.
