Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Coral Bay Thanksgiving Regatta
On the two days after Thanksgiving a
just-for-fun but hard-fought regatta takes place
in the waters near Coral Bay. Entrants include
great racers, Sunday sailors, locals who live
aboard boats and hardly pull-up their anchors, and lots of
tourists.
Headquarters is Skinny Legs Bar and Restaurant,
(340)
779-4982; www.skinnylegs.com.
A Capsule History
At the end of the 17th century, squatters from
St. Thomas and nearby Tortola (British) began
settling on St. John and frequent skirmishes
erupted between them. Finally, in 1717, King
Christian V granted a charter to the
Danish West India
Company
for the purpose of establishing a permanent Dan-
ish colony on the island. The English on Tortola decided not
to fight for the island and so the Danes worked at establish-
ing their settlement. They carved out plantations and, to
lure newcomers, offered large tax exemptions. Tobacco,
sugar and cotton were soon being exported to Europe. In
1733, the population of St. John stood at 208 whites and
1,000 slaves. Prosperity was short-lived, however, as a slave
revolt erupted on the island. The spark that ignited the re-
volt was a hurricane in the summer of 1733. It destroyed the
slave's personal food crops. When refused food by the plant-
ers, anger exploded. They set out to kill as many of the hated
masters as they could and to burn down the “great houses”
and cane fields.
The uprising could not be put down and for six months the
slaves were in control of St. John. When control was finally
re-established, almost half the plantations were destroyed.
Those planters who returned to the island rebuilt their
homes. Then Denmark fought with Napoleon against Eng-
