7
Night Disney Cruises
St.
Thomas- History
St. Thomas
is just one of the many islands that make up Lesser
Antilles in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Originally
discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493, the
island has flown the flags of Spain, England,
France, Holland, The United States and Denmark.
The Dutch won out in the end and successfully
colonized the island in 1666.
It has always
been a major trade port and for almost an entire
century it's capital city, Charlotte Amalie, was
a known pirate refuge and trade center for plundered
goods and pirated booty. After the Dutch King
Frederick V declared St. Thomas a free port, trade
opened up and made Charlotte Amalie one of the
busiest ports in the world.
With the
advent of steam ships, the trade routes shortened
and the stop over to the Virgin Islands was almost
eliminated. But the United States found great
use in the islands during WWI. They purchased
the islands from the Dutch to keep the German's
from setting up a submarine base in the Caribbean.
Once WWII was over St. Thomas took it's place
as a sought after destination for relaxation and
abandon; a cubby-hole in the world where tension
had no place in every day life.
That is
still the attitude today, perhaps stronger than
ever in the wake of Hurricane Marilyn which struck
the Virgin Islands in 1995. From hotels to restaurants;
hot-spots to beaches. Every aspect of the island's
charm lies in it's resolve to remain placid and
soothing to the visitors soul.
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