Description:

St. Thomas [Island]



Island of St. Thomas - Admiral David D. Porter Promotes the Purchase of the Island of St. Thomas by Wm. Seward



A scarce imprint relative to William Seward's attempt to purchase the Danish Virgin Island of St. Thomas between 1865 and 1868: "THE ISLAND OF ST. THOMAS. LETTER OF VICE-ADMIRAL DAVID D. PORTER TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE." three conjoined pages, front and verso, 8.25" x 13", Annapolis, November 6,1867, a transcript of Porter's report to Seward, the strategic advantages of purchasing the island concluded, "I think St. Thomas is the keystone to the arch of the West Indies; it commands them all. It is of more importance to us than to any other nation, and if Europe was at leasure and its attention not distracted by its own complications, we would not be allowed to get the island on any terms. The chances are that we may not get it yet. The people of St. Thomas may prefer their present independent position to being mixed up with our difficulties." Lightly toned and stained, small tear, small loss at lower left edge and punch hole at upper edge, both in blank areas, else very good condition.



William Seward first began contemplating the idea of purchasing St. Thomas during the Civil War. While the majority of the islands in the West Indies sympathized with the the Confederacy, providing critical ports to blockade runners, the governor of the Danish island of St. Thomas was so friendly to the United States that Union ships could obtain special favors, serenely and openly. The Lincoln Administration was in need of a Caribbean base for refitting and processing of captured prizes, and the Danes were most likely to part with one of their possessions for a price. Seward first broached the subject with the Danish Minster in Washington in January 1865. After two years of negotiations, Denmark agreed to sell the islands of St. John and St. Thomas for $7.5 million with the condition that the islands residents be able to approve the annexation in a vote. St. Thomas was a lucrative free port and Admiral Porter, like many observers saw numerous reasons why the islanders might reject the proposal. Despite these fears, the islanders voted overwhelmingly for annexation. However the purchase was never ratified in the Senate due to the recent purchase of Alaska and the distraction over the Andrew Johnson impeachment. Ulysses S. Grant finally killed the project, pronouncing it "'a scheme of Sewards,' and would have nothing to do with it."



Both islands (together with St. Croix) became part of the United States in 1917 in exchange for $25 million in gold. The purchase came about after an islander, David Hamilton Jackson, who campaigned against Danish mismanagement of the territory, convinced the King of Denmark government to sell the islands.


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