St Thomas — from Celebrity Today
St Thomas is currently known as an idyllic vacation spot, but its history was not quite as peaceful. In the 18th century, the island was at the center of a bustling pirate culture, as swashbuckling pirates such as Blackbeard and Drake traded stolen wares. Today, St Thomas is home to amazing beaches, gorgeous landscapes and still remains the commercial trade capital of the Caribbean, offering unbelievable duty-free shopping, mainly in its capital city — Charlotte Amalie.
Brief History
Christopher Columbus first sighted the Virgin Islands on his second voyage to the New World in 1493. He is said to have named the many islands in honor of St Ursula and her virgins. Throughout history, St Thomas and the other Virgin Islands were controlled at one time or another by Spain, England, France, Holland, and Denmark. The islands experienced over 400 years of hostile European takeovers, wars, lootings, pirates, slave trade, revolutions and liberations.
In 1755, the Danes made St Thomas a free port, and thereby a neutral territory. This vastly increased the amount of trade — accompanied by the inevitable pirates and rogues — and the number of wealthy landowners who imported many slaves from Africa.
During World War I, the United States feared German activity in the Caribbean, and wanted to protect its shipping interests through the just-completed Panama Canal. In 1917, the US purchased its Virgin Islands from Denmark at a cost of $25 million.
Of the more than 50 US Virgin Islands, only three — St Thomas, St Croix, and St John — have any significant populations. The islands are an unincorporated territory of the US, so the residents are not protected by the US Constitution, do not vote in presidential elections, and have no vote in Congress. They are, however, subject to US taxes.
Next Up: What We Did in St Thomas
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