Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In the late 1600s and early 1700s the town prospered as a slave market and a neutral
port. During these years, the settlement gained the name of Charlotte Amalie in honor of
Denmark's queen.
When the US bought the Danish West Indies in 1917, the Navy took control of the is-
lands and made Charlotte Amalie its headquarters. Navy presence in the town truly over-
whelmed Charlotte Amalie during WWII, when the harbor became a naval base to protect
allied shipping to and from the Panama Canal.
