Transfer Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about US Virgin Islands

With the purchase of the U.S., the United States made its final territorial acquisition a century ago. Caribbean Islands. The Virgin Islands are comprised of three major islands — Saint Croix, Saint John, and Saint Thomas — and fifty smaller cays and islands. They are situated at the southernmost tip of the Caribbean. The day is commemorated with great vigour throughout the Virgin Islands. State institutions host parades, and the American flag is raised during the evening ceremony.

The background of Transfer Day

Midway through the 1860s, the American military leadership began to consider the Virgin Islands. In 1867, Secretary of State William H. Seward proposed the idea of the acquisition. The Danish government ratified the transaction for an agreed-upon price of $7.5 million. The following year, however, the islands witnessed a terrible catastrophe. At home, the impending indictment of President Andrew Johnson further disrupted the proceedings, and the plan was ultimately abandoned. Decades passed, but the idea of a Caribbean naval base persisted among the United States’ senior diplomats.

In 1900, Secretary of State John Hay initiated the second round of negotiations, which resulted in a $5 million sale agreement. However, this time the Danes exacted their vengeance by destroying the Panama Canals agreement.

Throughout the preponderance of the early 20th century, relations between the two holdings remained sour. Fear of European expansion in the Caribbean compelled American diplomats to initiate a new round of negotiations. The United States offered $25 million in gold coinage in March 1916 in exchange for the immediate abandonment of the Virgin Islands. The agreement was finalised in the same year, and the United States ratified the treaty. Senate proceedings on September 7, 1916.

Although the transfer was approved in order to establish a U.S. military base in the Caribbean, the island proved to be a profitable investment due to the region’s booming tourism industry. Today, Virgin Islanders are American citizens with a seat in Congress and numerous protections under the Constitution. The 31st of March is a holiday commemorating the peaceful cessation of the islands and the strategic expansion of the American empire.

5 LESSER KNOWN FACTS ABOUT THE U.S VIRGIN ISLANDS

In 1733, a century before the United States abolished slavery, islanders launched a failed slave rebellion.

Pockets of the Virgin Islands are illuminated at night by dinoflagellates, which are colonies of microscopic plankton.

Pirates continue to use the Virgin Islands as a safe haven, a practise that began in the 17th century when Governor Adolph Esmit allowed them to access the area for lucrative trade opportunities.

In 1493, Colombus visited the islands and named them “The Virgins” in honour of Saint Ursula and her 10,000 virgins.

Hamilton, one of the United States’ Founding Fathers, spent a significant portion of his childhood working as a clerk and experimenting with his writing on the streets of St. Croix.

TRANSFER DAY DATES