St. Thomas

Charlotte-Amalie, St. Thomas: Surrounded by turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, St Thomas is the territorial capitol of the US Virgin Islands. The island has a rich history, from the European explorations to the piracy of the high seas, St Thomas has been in the middle of it all.

The island was first inhabited by the Arawak Indians. They were believed to arrived on the island around 300 AD. The Arawaks lived peacefully on the island until being forced out by the Carib Indians.

Christopher Columbus discover the island in 1493 during his second voyage to the New World. Columbus did not remain on the island long as he continued his explorations further west. The island remained unguarded by the Spanish.

Because the island was unguarded, the bays became a shelter for pirate vessels. The pirates established small settlements and sought refuge on the island. Sir Frances Drake arrived on the island in 1585 and used a mountain top as a lookout to spot Spanish ships carrying treasures.

The island was settled by the Dutch West India Company in 1672. They divided the island into plantations and became reliant on slave labor to work the plantation. The island began exporting sugar cane, cotton and tobacco. By 1685, St Thomas became the largest slave auctions in the world. By 1715 the slaves outnumbered the Europeans as there were 3,042 blacks to 547 whites on the island. The slave trade remained a major industry in St Thomas until a slave revolt on St Croix that led to the abolition of slavery in the West Indies.

During this time, the island continued to be home to some of the world’s most famous pirates. The most popular pirate to call St Thomas home was Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard. He is believed to have called an old watch tower his castle, providing a constant watch over the harbor.

King Frederik V approved the proposal for the Danish government to take over the island and declare them crown colonies. In 1754, St Thomas joined St Croix and St John as crown colonies and the capitol was moved to St Croix.

The English seized the island in 1801 and maintained control of the island for almost a year. They regained control of the island again in 1807 and held the island until 1815.

The Danish regained control of the island again in 1815 and transformed the island to a free port. It became a major shipping port for the West Indies. The success of the port created an economic boom for the island, attracting businesses from all over the world. The island’s economy began to flourish.

During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s the island was stuck by many natural disasters. Hurricanes, a tsunami and many fires led to severe damage to structures on the island. The damage combined with poor management by Dutch official led to a collapse of the economic market on the island. Island native David Hamilton Jackson persuaded the Danish to allow the United States to purchase the island. The King of Denmark agreed and in 1917 the United States government purchased St Thomas, St John and St Croix for $25 million dollars thus creating the US Virgin Islands. St Thomas residents became United States citizens in 1927 and the islands became US territories in 1954.

Today the island’s economy is based on the tourism industry. Charlotte-Amalie is a top stop on the Eastern Caribbean cruise itinerary, bringing thousands of tourists onto the island when the ships are in port resulting in over a million and a half cruise passengers coming to the island each year.

For photos from the island, visit my St Thomas photo page.