Time after time history has proven that the motion of the universe operates under the direction of three fundamental principles. Number one, never bet against the under dog; number two, gravity works, and number three; good things come in threes.
There is a particular set of three that does deserve some special attention: St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas. Though each island possesses an elegance and natural beauty that makes each notable unto itself, the trio’s glorious beaches, rich heritage and vibrant streets pulse with the rhythms of calypso, soca and reggae that are second (or third) to none.
Throughout their long history the U.S. Virgin Islands have possessed a unique quality that captivated explorers from England, France, the Netherlands and Spain. Upon his second voyage to the Americas, Christopher Columbus claimed to have discovered the islands in 1493, despite the presence of Carib, Arawak and Taino natives who had migrated there from the South American continent one thousand years before. They remained in a constant state of war with the Spaniards for nearly a century. By 1596 the islands were described by the remaining settlers as being uninhabitable. In the early 1600’s the English and Dutch made their first attempts at being civilized by settling on separate sides of the island, yet conflict between the two colonies was inevitable. The Dutch suffered under the will of the powerful English forces until 1650. A Spanish fleet then descended on the island of St. Croix from Puerto Rico and massacred both English and Dutch settlers. Later in that same year, the French succeeded in capturing St. Croix with only two vessels, but their attempts at establishing a colony proved to be most disastrous. Infectious diseases claimed the life of two-thirds of their population.
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