St. Thomas

  • Translation

Article ID AMW0508

Title

St. Thomas

Description

View of the city of St. Thomas

Year

ca. 1870

Artist

Anonymus

Historical Description

In 1493, Christopher Columbus discovered the island for Europe on his second trip to the New World. In the following period the indigenous population was exterminated by the Europeans. However, the island remained uncolonized for centuries until the Danes occupied the island in 1666. At first there were only a few Danes who sent the Dansk Vestindiske Kompagni as a trading company in 1670 before it was decided that the island should belong to Denmark. From 1672 the population grew and especially the city of Christiansfort developed rapidly. In 1691 it was named after the Danish queen, Christian V's wife, Charlotte Amalie. Sugar cane plantations were established on the island. As early as 1688 there were 47 plantations on Saint Thomas. The plantations required an increasing number of workers who were dragged away from Africa as slaves. As early as 1690 there were ten times more Africans than Europeans on the island. The island owed the following upswing to the rum trade and the slave trade. From 1685 to 1693, the Kurbrandenburg colony of St. Thomas, leased by Denmark, was located on the island. Saint Thomas attracted many pirates who found shelter in the many bays and plundered ships in the Caribbean from there. The most famous pirates to visit Saint Thomas were Blackbeard and Bluebeard. In 1822 the Spanish government complained that pirates were staying on Saint Thomas, but was turned down by the Danish-West Indian governor. The pirate era did not end there until 1829. The Danes maintained sugar cane plantations and exported sugar, tobacco and rum. The colony's triangular trade was an important part of the Danish economy for 200 years. After the Danish state acquired the Danish West Indies in 1755, all Danish ships had access to the islands. For Denmark the sugar tax became a steady source of income. When the South American states began the war for their independence in 1804, Saint Thomas flourished when the Danish King Charlotte declared Amalie a free port. During the wars against Spain, trade for both sides was carried out in the neutral Charlotte Amalie. In 1839, Saint Thomas became the British Royal Mail Steam Packet Company's base. After the company had left the island, the Hamburg-America Line came to Saint Thomas. Not until after 1840 did many leave the island. In 1917 the USA bought the island together with Saint John and Saint Croix for 25 million US dollars, because it was feared that German submarines could hide there and launch attacks against US ships. There had also been a long economic decline. The US was pursuing a strategic goal with the purchase. They wanted to gain control of the Caribbean and the Panama Canal.

Dimensions (cm)9,5 x 12
ConditionVery good
Coloringcolored
TechniqueWood engraving

Reproduction:

15.00 €

( A reproduction can be ordered individually on request. )