History of St. Thomas


300BC to 1500 AD: Arawak and Carib Indians inhabit St. Thomas

1493: Christopher Columbus names the island San Thomas
1585: Sir Francis Drake sails through the channel between the U.S. and British Virgins, now known as Drake's Passage
1607: Captain John Smith stops by, enroute to Virginia, to establish the first English colony in America
1666: Denmark plants her flag in St. Thomas
1671: Fort Christian erected as protection for colonists from pirates and other invaders. Tobacco and cotton are first crops; then sugar takes over
1673: The first abducted Africans arrive to be sold into slavery
1678: Additional protection added - two hilltop towers, now known as Blackbeard's and Bluebeard's Castles
1688: The first census. St. Thomas population 148 whites; 422 blacks
1691: Charlotte Amalie, first known as Taphus (for tap house), is founded
1694: Denmark claims St. John
1717: St. Thomas planters start cultivation of sugar cane on St. John
1724: St. Thomas proclaimed a free port
1733: Denmark buys St. Croix from France
1733: Slaves revolt on St. John, hold island for 6 months
1760: Coral Bay, St. John is laid out in town lots (to date, no town)
1787: Lord Nelson visits St. John and Tortola
1801: British capture the islands
1802: They return them
1804: Fire burns much of Charlotte Amalie
1834: End of racial segregation between whites and free blacks proclaimed
1839: Compulsory education decreed
1848: Emancipation of slaves in the Danish West Indies
1867: U.S. offers Denmark 7.5 million for St. Thomas and St. John. Refused
1900: By turn of century sugar cane production part of past
1917: U.S. buys Danish West Indies for 25 million in gold. They become the U.S. Virgin Islands under jurisdiction of U.S. Navy
1927: U.S. Citizenship granted to Virgin Islanders
1931: Islands transferred from Navy to Interior Department
1936: Women receive right to vote in local elections
1939: Navy establishes submarine base
1941: Navy builds airport, roads, housing. Remains through World War II
1950: Total of 26,650 tourists (14,400 by ship; 12,250 by air) visit island
1956: Virgin Islands National Park established on St. John
1959: St. Thomas This Week first published and still the popular guide
1962: 5,600 off-shore acres added to National Park
1964: College (later University) of the Virgin Islands founded
1968: U.S. Congress passes act allowing residents to elect their own governor. Previously, governors had been appointed by the U.S. President
1972: U.S. Virgin Islands elect their first delegate to Congress
1980: Developing Tourism has become significant source of income
1990: Modern airport terminal replaces World War II hangar
1994: Total of 1,767,299 tourists visit St. Thomas-St. John
1995: The Virgin Islands Daily News wins Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. Pulitzer's highest and most prestigious award
1997: President Clinton and family vacation on St. Thomas
1998: The Clintons return. Other U.S. presidents to visit the islands during office - Presidents Nixon, Truman, and Franklin D. Roosevelt
1998: Virgin Islands celebrate 150th anniversary of Emancipation