Virgin Islands History

America's Virgin Islands: A History of Human Rights and Wrongs By William Boyer Carolina Academic Press Paperback (510 pages) List Price: $32.00* Lowest New Price: $28.00* Lowest Used Price: $31.86* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 21:18 Pacific 23 May 2012 More Info) Click Here Product Description: This second edition of America's Virgin Islands by William W. Boyer is the only history of the United States' territory covering the period from 1492 to 2010. Especially emphasized is the period since 1917 when the U.S. acquired the Islands from Denmark. Constituting three small Caribbean islands St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John each is unique, but together they are widely known as a favorite tourist destination featuring sun, sand and surf. In many respects, the territory is a microcosm of the human family. The diversity of its physical environment is matched by the diversity of its people. The focal point of the book is a record of the struggle of the Islanders' greater number as slaves, then serfs, and lastly as citizens to gain control of their own destiny. Broadly conceived, this is a history of human rights and human wrongs. The author does not merely portray the history of the Islands and their people; he also shows how the Islanders share the same aspirations as other colonial subjects. In so doing he taps previously unused sources. The relationship between the USA and the Virgin Islands has been marked by indifference and vacillation on the part of American officials. Moreover, thousands of tourists who flock to the territory annually are unaware of the Islands checkered and rich history. For many, the Islands are simply a tropical paradise. America's Virgin Islands is a fascinating, extensively documented, and detailed source of information, valuable to those interested in a political and cultural perspective, to those interested in African American or Caribbean history, and likewise to those who live in or visit the Islands.

Fodor's U.S. & British Virgin Islands (Full-color Travel Guide) By Fodor's Fodor's Released: 2011-10-04 Paperback (292 pages) List Price: $18.99* Lowest New Price: $9.23* Lowest Used Price: $9.23* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 21:18 Pacific 23 May 2012 More Info) Click Here Product Description: Full-color guide • Make your trip to U.S. & British Virgin Islands unforgettable with illustrated features, 22 maps, and 125 color photos. Customize your trip with simple planning tools • Top experiences & attractions • Island comparison charts • Easy-to-read color maps Explore the St. Thomas, St. John, Tortola, and beyond • Discerning Fodor’s Choice picks for hotels, restaurants, sights, and more • “Word of Mouth” tips from fellow Fodor’s travelers • Illustrated features on Diving and Chartering a Yacht • Best beachcombing, day sails, and shopping opportunities Opinions from destination experts • Fodor’s Virgin Islands-based writers reveal their favorite local haunts • Frequently updated to provide the latest information

Frommer's Virgin Islands (Frommer's Complete Guides) By Darwin Porter Frommers Paperback (288 pages) List Price: $17.99* Lowest New Price: $9.30* Lowest Used Price: $9.46* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 21:18 Pacific 23 May 2012 More Info) Click Here Product Description: Insider advice on avoiding the crowds as you explore some of the Virgin Islands' best beaches, from Caneel Bay in St. John to Cane Garden Bay in Tortola. Plus tips for finding the best snorkeling spots, from St. Thomas's Coki Point Beach to St. Croix's Cane Bay, and dive sites, including the Wreck of the H.M.S. Rhone off of Salt Island. Where to find the absolute best conch chowder in St. Thomas, the freshest lobster in St. Croix, and the most satisfying conch fritters in Virgin Gorda. Plus, advice on where to find the best shopping buys, from local arts and crafts stores to high-end jewelry shops. Recommendations to help you choose the perfect Virgin Island--from the U.S. Virgin Islands of St. John, St. Thomas, and St. Croix, to the British Virgin Islands of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, Anegada, and Guana Island. Opinionated reviews. No bland descriptions and lukewarm recommendations. Our expert writers are passionate about their destinations--they tell it like it is in an engaging and helpful way. Exact prices listed for every establishment and activity--no other guides offer such detailed, candid reviews of hotels and restaurants. We include the very best, but also emphasize moderately priced choices for real people. User-friendly features including star ratings and special icons to point readers to great finds, excellent values, insider tips, best bets for kids, special moments, and overrated experiences.

A Guide to Sources for the History of the Danish West Indies (U.S. Virgin Islands), 1671-1917 By Erik Gobel Univ Pr of Southern Denmark Hardcover (350 pages) List Price: $27.00* Lowest New Price: $24.98* Lowest Used Price: $26.90* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 21:18 Pacific 23 May 2012 More Info) Click Here Product Description: The Danish West Indies - the islands of St Thomas, St John, and St Croix - were a traditional Caribbean colony, characterised by sugar production, trade, and shipping. The colony was under the Danish flag from 1671 until 1917, since which time the islands have been known as the United States Virgin Islands. The archival sources for the history of the three islands are first and foremost in the Danish National Archives. These records are exceptionally comprehensive and their research potential is enormously rich, as the Danes have been meticulous in documenting almost everything that happened in the colony and in preserving the records. The Danish archival sources are therefore unique historical resources today.The book is a thorough guide to the vast Danish West Indian material in Denmark, including detailed catalogues of the archives of the most important colonial offices in Copenhagen. It also includes a valuable bibliographical essay on the literature on the history of the Danish West Indies.

Through the Sands of Time: A History of the Jewish Community of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (Brandeis Series in American Jewish History, Culture and Life) By Judah M. Cohen Brandeis Paperback (332 pages) List Price: $35.00* Lowest New Price: $31.13* Lowest Used Price: $34.02* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 21:18 Pacific 23 May 2012 More Info) Click Here Product Description: In 1796, the Jews of St. Thomas founded the first Jewish congregation on this Caribbean island. By 1803, new arrivals from England, France, and the neighboring islands of St. Eustatius and Curacao increased the original number from a handful of congregants to twenty-two families. Their small synagogue was destroyed by fires and rebuilt several times. The congregation numbered sixty-four families by the time the present synagogue was erected in 1833. It is by now the oldest synagogue in continuous use under the American flag. The congregation was also among the first to receive copies of the new West London Reform liturgy when it came out in 1841 and the first in this hemisphere to hold a Jewish confirmation ceremony, two years later. In addition, the St. Thomas Synagogue has produced its own unique religious literature relating to hurricanes! While the synagogue has served for over 200 years as a central religious and social gathering place, the Jews of St. Thomas have been highly mobile members of a progressive, cosmopolitan society that at times rivaled any in the world. As an accepted part of the larger community, members were accomplished, model citizens in a highly tolerant Danish colonial society. Jews took positions in government, served as auctioneers, participated in the local Masonic lodges, and represented other countries as consuls in St. Thomas. As traders in a mercantile culture, the Jews contributed to the activity of one of the world's busiest harbors and played a crucial role in St. Thomas's nineteenth-century rise to prominence in the northern Caribbean.