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St Croix history - learn what once happend
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. The word "cannibal" is in tribute to their fierce nature for it is derived from the Spanish word for Carib or "carribales." Washington Irving described the Caribs: "The hair of these savages was long and coarse, their eyes were encircled with paint, so as to give them hideous expression. Bands of cotton were bound firmly above and below the muscular parts of the arms and legs, so as to cause them to swell to a disproportionate size." On November 14, 1493, Columbus made his first visit to "Ayay" (as the Indians called St. Croix) and renamed it Santa Cruz. His reception by the Caribs gives testament to their violent character. Upon anchoring at Salt River, a small boatload of Spaniards approached the shore and encountered a small canoe carrying four men and two women. A battle ensued, which resulted from the Spaniards attempting to capture the natives. One Carib and one Spaniard were killed. The remaining Caribs were taken prisoner. This was the early beginning of what would soon be widely employed; slavery. In response to such conflict, Charles V of Spain declared that all Indians in the islands were enemies and should be eliminated. The Dutch and English are grouped together for they settled the Virgin Islands almost simultaneously -- sometime in the early 1600's. Each country settled a separate side of the island: the Dutch settled the east end and the English the west. Inevitably, conflict erupted, but the manner in which it did is interesting. According to the English: the English Governor Brainsby was murdered by the Dutch Governor Capoen, while visiting Capoen in his house. Later the same year, the French sent two vessels to capture St. Croix and succeeded. The Spanish rule of St. Croix was over almost as soon as it had begun. The French fared poorly during their first colonization attempt in 1651. Of 300 colonists, two thirds and two governors died of illness during the first year. Burning the local forest during the dry season was a common practice, supposedly to destroy what they suspected was the home of disease. In 1733, the French Government sold St. Croix to the Danish West India & Guinea Co. for approximately $150,000. Shortly after this transaction, the Danes made a clever move by allowing immigrants of other nationalities to move in. The result was rapid development as everyone from the Spanish Sephardic Jews to the Huguenots purchased the available plantations. The English soon dominated the populations and English became the language spoken on the streets. It was under Danish rule that the sugar plantations flourished. Denmark sold the Virgin Islands to the United States of America in 1917 for $25 million. St. Croix is now a U.S. Territory, along with the other U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Thomas and St. John. The island's residents are U.S. citizens.
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St Croix Vacations site
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