(Skytsborg) was built on Government Hill in 1679 and is today a U.S.
National Historic Landmark.
Early history Archaeological records indicate that the present-day U.S. Virgin Islands have been home to
native people groups, including the
Taíno,
Arawak,
Kalinago/Carib, and the
Ciboney people. Several of these lived in present-day Charlotte Amalie in small fishing communities. When
Christopher Columbus arrived in 1493, during his
second voyage to the Americas, the archipelago was still inhabited by Carib, Arawak, Ciboney, and Taíno peoples. As was the case in most of the Americas, these native populations died relatively quickly from disease when the Europeans settled. While Columbus claimed the present-day U.S. Virgin Islands for Spain, early Spanish settlers focused more on Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands. As a result, St. Thomas remained unprotected by the Spanish for many years, which left Charlotte Amalie's sheltered coves to be frequented by pirates, like
Blackbeard, as well as mariners and other European settlers.
17th century The
Danish West India Company chartered Charlotte Amalie in 1671 after King Christian V decided to secure them for plantations. As early as in 1672, the Danish government began building
Fort Christian on Saint Thomas Harbor in Charlotte Amalie. In 1675, the Danes constructed four pubs near the water's edge on the Fort's western side. The Danish government supplied convicts to work the plantations but soon allowed colonists from neighboring islands to settle there and allowed the importation of slaves from Africa. In 1680, there were more black African slaves than white European settlers. Adjacent
Water and
Buck Islands served as pasture lands for the town, and Taphus was renamed Charlotte Amalie in 1691 after
King Christian V's wife. It was the main port of the
Virgin Islands Archipelago and was connected to about 50 plantations by one road, which remains the main highway today.
18th century In the early 18th century, more than 3,000 white settlers lived in town, and sugar production and slave trading were the economic mainstay. After the Danish government wanted direct administration of the archipelago in 1754, the capital was moved from Charlotte Amalie to
Christiansted on the Island of
Saint Croix. That partly made Charlotte Amalie's economy transition from slave trading and agriculture to general commerce. The slight did not hamper the town's growth, as merchants profiteered in arms and rum trades to belligerent countries. In 1764, Charlotte Amalie was declared a free port by King
Frederick V, and it became the busiest harbor in the Caribbean. The American Revolution in the 1770s was good news for the town, as it was thriving times for the local businessfolk. The town began to be filled by immigrants from Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean, most of them from other islands of the
Lesser Antilles. By 1778, the Danish government had strengthened its military position by building
Bluebeard's Castle and
Blackbeard's Castle, lookout towers on the crests of the two hills in the town. The town prospered as a free port and U.S., Danish, Sephardic, German, French, British, Italian, and Spanish importing houses operated here. At the end of the 18th century, U.S. founding father and future architect of the U.S. Constitution
Alexander Hamilton decided the town was so wealthy that "gold moved through the streets in wheel-barrows". At one point, Charlotte Amalie was the second-largest city in the
Danish Realm, smaller only than
Copenhagen.
19th century A growing share of the West Indian trade passed through the port in the beginning of the 1800s, and the rise of steamships made Charlotte Amalie an ideal coaling station for ships sailing between North and South America. In 1804, a major fire struck Charlotte Amalie, destroying more than 1,200 homes and stores. Two more fires came in 1805 and 1806, and the town lost another thousand buildings. Neighboring islands gradually began importing coal directly from producers, and Charlotte Amalie was sidestepped in trade in the early 1800s. The abolition of slavery in 1848 further diminished Charlotte Amalie's commercial role and the town suffered a brutal recession, as did most of the Caribbean following abolition. During the
American Civil War in the early 1860s, the town evolved into a smuggling center for ships running the federal blockade of ports in the
Confederacy. As an acknowledgment of the port's smuggling success, the Danish government moved the archipelago's capital back to Charlotte Amalie in 1871. The latter half of the 1800s saw a cholera epidemic that killed thousands. As an unincorporated U.S. territory, the U.S. Virgin Islands became a haven for U.S. citizens seeking luxury vacations or a second home in the Caribbean. During the mid-20th century, resorts began to be built and direct flights from the U.S. to Charlotte Amalie increased tourism. During the last half of the century, Charlotte Amalie experienced extraordinary economic growth, largely as a consequence of being a U.S. territory with growing U.S. tourism. The tourism has also led to preservation and conversion of historic buildings and homes. Many ancient commercial buildings were made into restaurants and shops. During the 1980s and '90s, many buildings were restored to how they looked 200 years earlier. The tourism industry has thrived on the island, driving the economy of the U.S. Virgin Islands, but limited flatland space in the mountainous terrain constrains Charlotte Amalie's economic and population growth. The spread of hilltop homes overlooking the Caribbean crystal blue waters began trending in the 1960s as well. == Geography ==