Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Saint John is one of the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea and is part of the United States Virgin Islands. It is the smallest of the three main islands, covering about 50 square kilometers. The closest big island is Saint Thomas, where the capital city, Charlotte Amalie, is located.

The biggest town on Saint John is Cruz Bay. Many people visit Saint John each year for its beautiful beaches and nature. About 60% of the island is protected as part of the Virgin Islands National Park, which helps keep the forests and wildlife safe.

Saint John has a population of about 3,881 people, most of whom come from Afro-Caribbean backgrounds. The island’s main industry is tourism. Saint John is also known by the nickname “Love City” because of its lovely and peaceful atmosphere.

History

Petroglyphs and artifacts found at Cinnamon Bay show that Taíno people lived on Saint John from about 700 to the late 1400s.

Christopher Columbus sailed past Saint John in 1493 but did not land. He named the northern Virgin Islands Las Once Mil Virgenes.^: 24 

Colonization and settlement

Main article: Danish West Indies

The Danish West India Company began settling nearby Saint Thomas in 1671. Saint John was claimed by Britain in 1684 but was taken back by Denmark in 1718. People grew sugar cane and other crops.

In 1848, Denmark freed the enslaved people. By 1850, many plantations were left unused. By 1901, Saint John had only 925 people, and the last sugar factory closed in 1908.^: 24–26 

Purchase

In 1917, the United States bought the U.S. Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25 million during World War I. This was to stop Germany from expanding into the Western Hemisphere. Private investors later turned old plantation houses into vacation spots, and tourism grew.

Hurricane Irma

In September 2017, Hurricane Irma hit Saint John. The storm was very strong and made many people leave the island. Power was out for many months.

Government

The U.S. Virgin Islands have been part of the United States since 1917. People who live there are U.S. citizens, but they cannot vote for the U.S. president.

Before 1970, the U.S. president chose the leaders of the islands. After that, the people there could choose their own governor, a second leader called a lieutenant governor, and senators for the group's law-making body. There are fifteen senators who come from the three islands: seven from Saint Croix, seven from Saint Thomas and Saint John, and one from Saint John who serves for two years.

People in the U.S. Virgin Islands also choose a special representative for the U.S. Congress, but this person cannot vote there.

Saint John does not have its own local leaders. The governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands chooses someone to help with the island, but this person does not have real power to make decisions.

The main political groups in the U.S. Virgin Islands are the Democratic Party, the Independent Citizens Movement, and the Republican Party. Some people also run for office without joining a big group.

Saint John is split into smaller areas called subdistricts. These are:

1. Central
2. Coral Bay
3. Cruz Bay
4. East End

Voting

Economy

Saint John once grew sugar cane, but that stopped after unfair practices ended. Now, the island's economy depends mostly on tourism. There are many places to stay, like rental homes, hotels, and resorts. You can find shops and restaurants, especially in Cruz Bay and Coral Bay.

Saint John is a popular place for visitors from nearby islands such as the United States Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the British Virgin Islands. People enjoy boating, island hopping, and snorkeling at beautiful spots such as Christmas Cove, Jost Van Dyke, and Buck Island National Wildlife Refuge. Many boats can be rented for fun trips.

Tourism

Virgin Islands National Park

In 1956, a kind person named Laurance Rockefeller gave land on Saint John to the United States' National Park Service to protect it. Today, most of the island is part of the Virgin Islands National Park, which helps keep the nature safe. This includes the waters, coral reefs, and shoreline.

Transport

Saint John does not have an airport, but people can fly to nearby Saint Thomas and take a ferry or taxi to the island. Ferries run regularly from Saint Thomas and other nearby islands. Cars and goods arrive by boat. Taxis and water taxis help visitors get around. There is also a public bus service on weekdays.

Major port town

In the past, Coral Bay was important for trade because it protected ships well. Today, Cruz Bay is the main port where people arrive. It has docks for cargo, ferries, and international ships. Cruise ships visit Cruz Bay in the winter, and many tourists come to Saint John for the day from ships in Saint Thomas or Tortola. The waters around the US Virgin Islands are watched by the United States Coast Guard cutters from Miami, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Notable people

Some famous people have ties to Saint John. Breffu was an Akwamu leader during an uprising in 1733. Myrah Keating Smith was a nurse and midwife who lived there. John Campbell and his daughter Jasmine Campbell are alpine skiers who moved to the United States in 2000. J. Robert Oppenheimer, who helped develop the atomic bomb, visited Saint John every year starting in 1954 and owned a home on Gibney Beach from 1957.

Education

The schools on Saint John are run by the St. Thomas-St. John School District. There is one public school called Julius E. Sprauve, often called JESS. It has elementary and middle school programs. There are also private schools such as Gifft Hill School, Saint John Christian Academy, Saint John Methodist School, and the Saint John Montessori School. Gifft Hill is the only school on the island with a high school program. Students who want to go to public high school must go to Ivanna Eudora Kean High School on Saint Thomas.

In 2020, there was an agreement to look at swapping land. This was so a new public school could be built on Saint John. This would let students stay on the island for high school, instead of going to school on Saint Thomas. The plan was being talked about and looked at at that time.

In literature

There is a book called Grandma Raised the Roof by Ethel Walbridge McCully. It is about the author building her dream home on Saint John.