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Crucian Heritage

Emancipation Day: A Truly Crucian Story

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Emancipation A Crucian History

While many across the United States and its Territories observe the 4th of July holiday celebrating American Independence, July 3rd marks a very important holiday here in the US Virgin Islands – Emancipation Day.

One of my favorite books is Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende which tells the harrowing saga of Zarité from her slavery on a sugar plantation in Saint-Domingue through her escape and participation in the uprising and successful slave revolt in Haiti to her eventual arrival in New Orleans. Though it is historical fiction it offers insight into a dark time and the struggles and strength associated with survival amidst such brutality.

Here on St Croix, there’s a very similar and equally heroic story.

History of Emancipation in the US Virgin Islands

70 years after the revolutionists in the thirteen colonies rose up from tyranny in 1776 and 17 years before chattel slavery was fully abolished in the United States*, the enslaved on St Croix banded together and coordinated an uprising. They were the second island in the Caribbean after Haiti to demand their freedom and set the precedent for emancipation throughout the Caribbean. It is often said that Danish Governor Peter von Scholten abolished chattel slavery. And while it is technically true, it was actually an uprising of heroic enslaved people on July 3, 1848, that prompted him to do it much earlier than he had planned.

Appointed Governor-General in 1827 by King Frederick of Denmark, von Scholten was an advocate of the gradual emancipation of the enslaved people. Undoubtedly, his mistress and confidante, “free-coloured” Anna Heegaard, had an influence on his philosophies. The trans-Atlantic slave trade had ceased in 1803. But, the brutality of forced chattel slave labor on the sugar plantations continued on St Croix and throughout the Caribbean.

In 1839, von Scholten began building schools to educate enslaved children. In 1847 Governor von Scholten proposed his 12-year plan to emancipate the enslaved. A plan that was quite unpopular with local plantation owners.

Emancipation Day July 3

General Buddhoe

John Gottlieb (General Buddhoe) a skilled, freed slave was not about to wait 12 years. Buddhoe, along with his Admiral Martin King, organized the enslaved workers on the West End of St Croix. They coordinated a gathering in Frederiksted at the blowing of the conch shell on the morning of July 3, 1848. Following the call, a large group of enslaved and free coloreds stormed and took Fort Frederik. The crowd demanded that by noon the enslaved be declared free or they would burn down the town.

They sent the ultimatum to Governor von Scholten in Christiansted. Some hypothesize that von Scholten and Buddhoe may have had a previous clandestine agreement. Other stories have it that von Scholten was en route to the slave school at Mount Victory just outside of Frederiksted to oversee an exam when he received the word and was diverted.

Either way, the deadline was extended slightly and by 3 pm von Scholten declared the enslaved to be free. Knowing the history of the Haitian rebellion, they avoided what undoubtedly could have been a very bloody battle with many casualties.

von-scholten-school-mt-victory
Ruins of the von Scholten School at Mount Victory Camp

Freedom for the enslaved didn’t mean true emancipation. Many of them still toiled in unfair conditions earning meager wages that kept them impoverished. In October 1878, labor organizers rebelled again … led by three rebel Queens for the “fyah burn” but that’s another story for another time.

St Croix and many other influential Crucians have had a significant impact on the United States and its history. West Indian-born Alexander Hamilton spent his formative years working for an accountant on St Croix and it was his Crucian benefactors that paid for his education in New York. He later became Chief Staff Aide to General George Washington, the 1st US Secretary of the Treasury, and holds an esteemed place on the US $10 bill.

“The history of labor organizers and the long-term impact of our history and how it ties into US history is significant.  Many of the labor organizers in the early 1900s’ in New York were Crucians. Hubert Harrison is referred to as ‘the foremost Afro-American intellect of his time’ and the ‘father of Harlem Radicalism.'” – Frandelle Gerard, Director Crucian History and Nature Tourism (CHANT)

To learn more about the incredible history of St Croix and the US Virgin Islands while on St Croix, book a walking tour or a hike with one of the many knowledgeable guides at CHANT. You can also visit Estate Whim Museum, a part of the St Croix Landmarks Society to learn more about life on a working sugar plantation.

*While the Emancipation Proclamation was signed on September 22, 1862, by President Abraham Lincoln, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865 – a full two and a half years later – that Federal troops went into Galveston, Texas to inform the enslaved people that they had been freed. We now celebrate that day as Juneteenth. Juneteenth was declared a Federal Holiday in 2021.

Transfer Day in the Virgin Islands: Seven Flags Over St Croix

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Living in the Virgin Islands it seems like every other week there is a holiday. Particularly because we celebrate all the traditional US Holidays, but there are also some important and historical USVI holidays in the mix. Each March 31st we celebrate Transfer Day in the US Virgin Islands.

So what the heck is Transfer Day anyways?

Since Columbus encountered and named the Virgin Islands (he landed on St Croix on his second trip in 1493 at Salt River), many countries have planted their flags on our shores. St Croix switched hands the most of any of the Virgin Islands and has a rich cultural past having flown seven flags over the island: Spain, England, Holland, France, the Knights of Malta, Denmark, and finally, the United States. In 1733, France sold the islands to the Danish West India Company and Denmark ruled the island colonies for almost 200 years. Because of the many different influences on the peoples of St Croix, you’ll find a rich tapestry of cultures woven together and reflected in Crucian food, customs, the local patois, and the beautiful historical architecture of downtown Christiansted and throughout the islands. The strong Danish influence is still celebrated with many Danes visiting throughout the year and the “Friends of Denmark Society” holding annual festivities. The WDY Cultural Dancers are often seen across the island sharing this joyful melange of culture through traditional dance.

On March 31, 1917 the Danish West Indies were officially transferred to the United States for $25 million. Ceremonies were held simultaneously on St Croix and St Thomas at 4pm on the date to commemorate the transfer. The negotiations began almost 50 years prior during the Civil War when the United States recognized that the islands provided a strategic outpost for the navy (fueling ships and protecting interests in the Panama Canal). The St Croix Landmarks Society posts an interesting and in-depth background of the historical significance of Denmark’s allegiance to the Union during the Civil War.

Today, because of the transfer, the United States Virgin Islands benefit from several conveniences for travelers from the US. We use the US Dollar $, the official language is English and US Citizens do not need to carry a passport when visiting the USVI. All persons leaving the territory via plane will pass through US Customs, so if you have a passport – we still recommend carrying it to make the process that much faster.

U.S. Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR’s) who travel directly between parts of the United States, which includes Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), without touching at a foreign port or place, arenot required to present a valid U.S. Passport or U.S. Green Card.  However, it is recommended that travelers bring a government issued photo ID and copy of birth certificate. – U.S. Customs & Border Protection

Flag of the US Virgin Islands

During the transfer of the islands to the United States, an agreement was put together called the Organic Act which allowed the US Virgin Islands, as a territory, to retain some autonomy and control (this was replaced by the Revised Organic Act of 1954) and also afforded residents of the islands United States Citizenship. One of the perks of the Organic Act is that our goods are allowed to be sold duty-free. Today, visitors are also allowed to carry back with them 6-bottles of alcohol (spirits are much cheaper here, especially since our world-famous Cruzan Rum and Captain Morgan and the new Mutiny Vodka made from breadfruit are both distilled on St Croix) as long as 1 bottle was distilled in the Virgin Islands. Because rum is such a part of our culture and economy, our Department of Tourism has a deal with the airlines and though you’ll check your box of adult goodies, it won’t be charged as a checked bag nor count towards your bag allowance.

There are many reasons to celebrate America’s Paradise, the US Virgin Islands, every single day – but today is the official one!

Read Virgin Islands acclaimed author, Tiphanie Yanique’s epic generational saga of a Virgin Islands family Land of Love and Drowning: A Novel. This intriguing, almost mythological, tale is woven with historical moments like the Transfer of the Virgin Islands and the creation of the Open Shorelines Act of 1971 that allows for all beaches in the USVI to be accessible by everyone. It’s a great read that I highly recommend!
Tiphanie has also authored a delightful children’s book I am the Virgin Islands that celebrates the kaleidoscope of people and places found in the Virgin Islands. Guaranteed to make you smile!

Update March 2021 – While the USVI is part of the United States and those born in the USVI are US Citizens, like the rest of the Insular Territories, US citizens residing in the USVI have no vote for President. In this day and age where voter’s rights are at the forefront of many conversations, it’s time for us to take a hard look at the disenfranchisement of millions of US citizens residing in five U.S. territories: Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Below are links to some important information to open the dialogue regarding US voting rights across the United States and its territories.