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The first European to visit the United States Virgin Islands was Christopher Columbus, in 1498. The islands were occupied by several nations over the next century, including England, Holland, France, and Denmark. In 1733, the Danish West India Company purchased St. Croix from the French and brought together St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John as the Danish West Indies.
Prior to, and less than a century after Columbus' discovery, St. Croix was inhabited by two tribes of Indians: the Caribs and the Arawaks. The Arawaks were generally considered to be a peaceful tribe while the Caribs were warring cannibals.
Danish slave trading posts were set up on the islands, and thousands of slaves were used to grow sugar cane to enrich the Danish. However, a slave rebellion in 1848 forced governor Peter von Scholten to officially abolish slavery.
The islands were purchased from the Danish by the United States in 1917.
See also
References
"History of the United States Virgin Islands"