Was there slavery in the Virgin Islands?
Was there slavery in the Virgin Islands? Conditions on the islands were harsh and many slaves tried to escape in the bush. It wasn't long before the number of slaves on the island exponentially outnumbered the free men. Reports say that on St. Thomas in 1725 there lived 324 whites compared to 4,490 enslaved Africans.
Why are Virgin Islands called Virgin?
In 1493, Christopher Columbus visited these islands. He had been searching for a route to India and consequently he called the people he encountered Indians. Columbus named the beautiful islands 'The Virgins' in reference to the legendary beauty of St. Ursula and her 11,000 virgins.