US VIRGIN ISLANDS
See also ROMAN CATHOLIC HIERARCHY IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 1848 - 1945
DANISH WEST INDIAN ISLANDS
Danish expansion in the West Indies started in 1671 when the crown granted a charter to the Vestindisk Kompagni (West India Company), giving it full rights to colonize Sankt Thomas (Saint Thomas) and other Virgin Islands. (1) In 1754 all rights of the company were transferred to the Danish crown and except for two periods of British occupation (in 1801 - 1802 and 1807 - 1815) the islands - known as the Dansk Vestindiske Øer (Danish West Indian Islands) - remained under Danish rule until 1917. (1) Sankt Thomas was actually occupied in 1672. Sankt Jan (Saint John) followed in 1717 and Sankt Croix (Saint Croix) in 1733. (The Danish were actually already present in the area since ca 1666) The charter was later extended to also include the settlements on the coast of Guinea and in 1680 the company was renamed Vestindisk Guineiske Kompagni. __________________________________________________________________________________DANISH CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
Governors General Generalgouvernør 1827 - 1848 MajGen. Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten, expelled 1784 - 1854 1848 Frederik von Oxholm* 1801 - 1871 1848 - 1851 Peder Hansen*, Government Commissioner (Regeringskommissær) sent to the islands to liquidate the last remnants of the slave revolt and to confirm the abolition of slavery. (2) 1798 - 1880 1851 - 1855 Hans Ditmar Frederik Feddersen 1805 - 1863 1855 - 1860 Johan Frederik Schlegel 1817 - 1896 1860 - 1871 Vilhelm Ludvig Birch 1817 - 1871 1871 CAdm. John Christmas 1799 - 1873 1871 - 1872 Frantz Ernst Bille* 1832 - 1918 1872 Johan August Stakeman* 1805 - 1891 1872 - 1881 Capt. Janus August Garde 1823 - 1893 1881 - 1893 Col. Christian Henrik Arendrup 1837 - 1913 1893 - 1903 Col. Carl Emil Hedemann 1852 - 1929 1903 - 1904 Herman August Jürs 1838 - 1918 1904 - 1905 Frederik Theodor Martin Mortensen Nordlien 1854 - 1924 1905 - 1908 Capt. Christian Magdalus Thestrup Cold 1863 - 1934 1908 - 1911 Peter Carl Limpricht 1838 - 1912 1911 - 1916 Lars Christian Helweg-Larsen 1860 - 1934 1916 - 1917 Capt. Henrik Konow* 1862 - 1939 Governors of Saint Thomas and Saint John Gouvernør på Sankt Thomas og Sankt Jan 1836 - 1848 Johannes Söbötker (2x) 1777 - 1854 1848 Hans Hendrik Berg 1789 - 1862 1848 - 1852 Frederik von Oxholm (2x) s.a. 1853 - 1862 Hans Hendrik Berg (2x) 1862 : office abolished (2) Events of 1848 Jul 02 : Start of a revolt of black slaves [(principal leader : Moses Gottlieb "General Buddhoe" (1800 - 1...)]. Jul 03 : Governor General von Scholten immediately proclaimed the end of slavery. This was opposed by the planters and von Scholten was forced to leave the islands. Jul : von Oxholm (s.a.) toke over as acting Governor General. With the help of Spanish troops from Puerto Rico (since jul 08?) he started suppressing the revolt. Nov : Arrival of Hansen (s.a.)
US TERRITORY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
In the curse of the 19th century the Virgin islands gradually lost their importance to Denmark and in 1917 - after a first attempt to do so had failed in 1867 - they were sold to the US for $25 million. (1) (1) At the same time the US gave up their claims on North Western Greenland __________________________________________________________________________________US CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
Governors Naval Governors (Subordinated to the Navy Department) 1917 Capt. Edwin Taylor Pollock* 1870 - 1943 1917 - 1919 RAdm. James Harrison Oliver 1857 - 1928 1919 - 1921 VAdm. Joseph Wallace Oman 1864 - 1941 1921 - 1922 Capt. Sumner Ely Wetmore Kittelle 1867 - 1950 1922 - 1923 Capt. Henry Hughes Hough 1871 - 1943 1923 - 1925 Capt. Philip Williams 1869 - 1942 1925 - 1927 Capt. Martin Edwin Trench 1869 - 1927 1927 - 1931 Capt. Waldo A. Evans 1869 - 1936 Governors (Subordinated to the Department of the Interior) 1931 - 1935 Paul Martin Pearson 1871 - 1938 1935 - 1941 Lawrence William Cramer 1897 - 1978 1941 - 1946 Charles A. Harwood 1880 - 1950
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