An Unjustified Means; to an Unsure Ends.
Naval Administration of the United States Virgin Islands (1917-1931) .
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There has been much criticism of the naval rule of the United States Virgin Islands from 1917-1931. I intend to briefly examine some of the factors that could lead to the criticism or praise of the Navy's administration of the islands. The title of this research paper, for me, reflects the strong arm tactics that the U.S. government used in the Caribbean during this time period, as well as the hope and unsurety for the islands future with such great obstacles to overcome. I will attempt to illustrate some of the political, social, and economic ironies that arise at this time in the history of the Virgin Islands.
There has been an American interest in the Virgin Islands even before the United States became an independent country. The Danish West Indies has a history of trade with the United States from its pre-revolutionary days on through the Civil War and on until 1917, when, the United States purchased the Danish West Indies, in the midst of World War I. Through out time the Danish West Indies has proven to be important to America for different reasons at different times. In pre-revolutionary America the Danish West Indies traded in sugar and rum. During the Civil War the Danish West Indies were a coaling station for the Confederate Army. The Danish West Indies proved to be of such strategic significance that the United States, finally, secured the purchase of the islands.
The transfer of the Danish West Indies to the United States was a precarious process for nearly half a century. After the Confederate states used St. Thomas as a coaling station during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State William Seaward developed a keen interest in obtaining the island of St. Thomas. Denmark was not interested and refused to sell. Within the next several months the Danish Ministry changed; and experienced an increase in financial problems.