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, a group of islands that belong to the United States but are not states. It is the smallest of the three main islands in this group, 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, with around 2,652 people living there. Many people visit Saint John each year for its beautiful beaches and nature. In fact, about 60% of the island is protected as part of the Virgin Islands National Park, which helps keep the forests and wildlife safe for everyone to enjoy.

Saint John has a total population of about 3,881 people, most of whom come from Afro-Caribbean backgrounds. The island’s main industry is tourism, meaning many people work in jobs that help visitors have a good time, like running hotels or guiding tours. 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 started 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. By 1733, there were 109 plantations on the island.

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 prevent 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 strong storm made about half of the island's 4,500 people leave, and power was out for many months.

Government

The U.S. Virgin Islands have been a 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

The main export of Saint John was once sugar cane, which was grown using the labor of people who were forced to work. This industry stopped growing after laws changed to stop this unfair practice. Today, Saint John's economy depends mostly on tourism. The island has many places to stay, like rental homes, hotels, and resorts. There are also many shops and restaurants, especially in Cruz Bay and Coral Bay.

Saint John is a favorite spot for people to visit from nearby islands such as the United States Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the British Virgin Islands. Visitors enjoy activities like 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 day trips or longer adventures.

Tourism

Virgin Islands National Park

In 1956, a generous person named Laurance Rockefeller gave a lot of 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 island's 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. There used to be a place for seaplanes in Cruz Bay, but that service stopped after a big storm. Ferries run regularly from Saint Thomas and other nearby islands. Cars and goods are brought to Saint John by boat. Taxis and water taxis are available to help visitors get around. There is also a public bus service that runs on weekdays.

Major port town

In the past, Coral Bay was an important place for trade because of its natural protection for ships. 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 as a day trip from ships docked in Saint Thomas or Tortola. The waters around the US Virgin Islands are watched over by the United States Coast Guard cutters from Miami, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Notable people

Some well-known people have connections to Saint John. Breffu was an Akwamu leader during the 1733 slave insurrection on the island. Myrah Keating Smith was a pioneering nurse and midwife who lived there. John Campbell and his daughter Jasmine Campbell, both alpine skiers, moved to the United States in 2000. J. Robert Oppenheimer, known for his role in developing the atomic bomb, spent time on Saint John each year starting in 1954 and owned a home on Gibney Beach from 1957 onward.

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, which includes 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 that also has a high school program. Students who want to attend public high school must go to Ivanna Eudora Kean High School on Saint Thomas.

In 2020, there was an agreement to explore swapping land so that a new public school could be built on Saint John. This would allow students to stay through high school on the island, instead of having to go to school on Saint Thomas. The plan was being discussed and reviewed during that time.

In literature

There is a book called Grandma Raised the Roof by Ethel Walbridge McCully. It tells the story of the author building her dream home on Saint John and protecting it from being taken by the National Park Service in the early 1950s.