1733

The Danes buy the third island of the West Indies – St. Croix

In 1733, the Danish West India Company bought the almost uninhabited island of St. Croix from France. It is located close to St. John and St. Thomas and is slightly larger than the two islands.

St. Croix had a big plain with good arable land where it was possible to grow sugar cane. The area was quickly measured, divided into lots, and cultivated. Most planters were British, French, Dutch, and other non-Danish Europeans. Soon, the island developed into a veritable gold mine for the company, the plantation owners, the merchants, and the ship owners. The economic boom lasted for the rest of the 1700s.

The treaty of June 15, 1733.
The treaty of June 15, 1733, whereby France sold St. Croix to Denmark. Louis XV has signed this beautifully calligraphed document which also carries his large royal seal (The Danish National Archives).