The history of St. Croix Island and the Virgin Islands started with Christopher Columbus’ second voyage in 1493. His sighting started modern St. Croix Island history, as it named Santa Cruz and claimed for Spain. After marking the beginning of St. Croix Island history, Columbus then proceeded to sail further North where he found the other islands and christened them “Las Islas Virgenes” or the Virgin Islands. Much of the famed pirate escapades took place off of St. Croix Island. Sir Francis Drake, an English navigator and infamous plunderer of Spanish galleons, sailed through the sea passageway separating the British and American Virgin Islands and which is today known as the Sir Francis Drake Channel. The famed Englishman reportedly watched the Spanish Armada sail by as his ships in the sanctuary of Magens Bay, North of St. Croix Island.

In the 1660’s, various European powers (Holland, France, England, Spain, Denmark & the Knights of Malta) all wanted to possess the Virgin Islands but in 1671 it was Denmark that clearly ruled St. Thomas. Denmark established the first permanent settlement there and by 1718 they expanded to St. John. A fort was constructed in Coral Bay on St. John, one of the safest harbors in the Caribbean. In 1733, Denmark purchased St. Croix Island from France and united the three Virgin Islands of today. Throughout the 18th century, the islands prospered with sugar plantations and St. Croix Island became a major emporium until 1848 when Denmark abolished slavery. The United States bought the islands in 1917, as part of a military defense strategy for $25 million but it was not until 1927 that the residents of St. Croix Island were granted U.S. citizenship.