U.S. Virgin Island Culture & History

Sapphire Beach Condos

The Anchorage on Cowpet Bay

U.S. Virgin Island Culture & History

When we look past the suns rays glinting off of the sand and waves of the U.S. Virgin Islands we discover that it is the people that make this a unique place. Virgin Islanders come from all walks of life. Their families have been here for generations, some as African, French and Puerto Rican descendants; others have come from the United States mainland to enjoy the bountiful fulfillment of being a Virgin Islander.

This island melting pot of history and culture has beginnings dating back to when Christopher Columbus visited here in 1493. The islands slept on for hundreds of years until the 1600’s when European powers began settling the Caribbean islands. Denmark established the first permanent settlement on St. Thomas in 1671 before expanding to St. John in 1718 and purchasing St. Croix from France in 1733, bringing the Virgin Islands together as we know them today. Growing as important trade emporiums and prospering with the increased development of sugar plantations, the U.S. Virgin Islands remained the Danish West Indies until the United States purchased the islands in 1917 for $25 million as part of a military strategy before entering World War I.

Ten years after the U.S. purchase, residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands were granted citizenship. During World War II, St. Thomas was developed into a defense base and operated as a submarine base and communications link for the Atlantic fleet, operated by the military and Department of the Interior until the passage of the Organic Act in 1936. A second Organic Act passed by Congress in 1954 giving the islands home rule and in 1970 Virgin Islands celebrated their first elected governor.

Today, tourism is the backbone of a stable economy in the U.S. Virgin Islands. As new residents and vacationers discover the wonders of the islands, real estate and construction have increased with the aid of investments by a vibrant Economic Development Authority. And while history and the combination of so many wonderful cultures have created an island paradise, every resident joins together in expectation of celebrating Carnival, an elaborate event that was born from the traditions of Africans first arriving on the islands. Marked by costumes, exciting parades and stilt walking, incredible foods and partying with the sound of calypso music and steel pan competitions ringing in the air, Carnival continues to call to us all!

Jeyan K. Stout
REALTOR®, CRS, GRI, e-Pro, Previews Property Specialist

Coldwell Banker Stout Realty
6600 Estate Nazareth
Box J-5, Suite S-14
St. Thomas, USVI 00802
Office: (340) 777-7653 or
(340) 776-7653
Email: Jeyan@ColdwellBankerSTT.com

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