mar 31, 1917 - US acquires St. Tómas, St. John, St. Croix
(Virgin Islands) from Denmark for $25 million in gold
Description:
In 1917, during the First World War, the United States purchased the U.S. Virgin Islands for $25 million in gold ($499 million today) from the Danish government in order to establish a naval base as a part of a defensive strategy to maintain control over the Caribbean and the Panama Canal. It was intended to prevent expansion of the German Empire into the Western Hemisphere. As part of the negotiations for this deal, the US agreed to recognize Denmark's claim to Greenland, which they had previously disputed.
US Citizenship was granted in 1927.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Thomas,_U.S._Virgin_Islands
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Croix
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_John,_U.S._Virgin_Islands
Added to timeline:
Date: