Virgin Islands Past and Present

From their tumultuous past to the tranquil present, the Virgin Islands have been much sought after

Clash of Cultures

From their tumultuous past to the tranquil present, the Virgin Islands have been much sought after

Clash of Cultures

The Virgin Islands is a place rich in history and cultural tradition. The area's earliest inhabitants date back to a group of Stone Age hunters and gatherers called the Ciboney. Many other groups would become indigenous to the islands, including the Arawaks who arrived on the islands in about 500 A.D. and the Caribs, who were a ruthless clan that made its claim to the islands by destroying Arawak villages.

Between 1493 and 1496, Christopher Columbus landed in the U.S. Virgin Islands on St. Croix, which he called Santa Cruz. From there, Columbus charted the rest of the Virgin archipelago, which he named after the legendary Saint Ursula and her army of 11,000 virgins. After Columbus' findings in the Caribbean, the history of the Virgin Islands became a dark and bloody story. Europeans doggedly began their efforts to convert the islands' aboriginal inhabitants to Christianity, which the majority of the Arawaks and Caribs rejected, causing their ultimate demise. The early Europeans also brought to the Caribbean infectious diseases that the native people were unable to fight off.

As the colonies were being established during the 16th and 17th centuries, slave labor was used in the Virgin Islands to support agriculture and the exportation of cash crops, namely sugarcane. Because of the profitability of agriculture in the Virgin Islands, as well as in other Caribbean islands, many European countries, including Spain, England, France, and the Netherlands, fought to gain possession of these moneymaking islands, resulting in various treaties and wars of domination. Ownership of the islands was passed around among different countries, creating a melting pot of cultures and languages that continue to define the region to this day. After many slave revolts and disagreements on the issue of slavery, the practice was abolished in the early 1800s, and the plantocracy system diminished.

Now, the Virgin Islands are home to a blended heritage, but one that is primarily influenced by African and European ancestors. Various styles of music and dance, distinctive cuisine, and a number of different religions and spiritual practices enhance a still-thriving culture. English is the official language of both the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and both are now dominated by a flourishing tourism industry.

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