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美國接管維京群島 (Virgin
Islands) ：1917年3月31日
這些島嶼曾經由西班牙與法國輪流掌管。丹麥開墾者到達這裡後，開始利用罪犯種植甘蔗。1678年之後，非洲奴隸也被派來當作勞工。法國在1733年把這些島嶼賣給丹麥，於是丹麥軍隊也正式進駐聖克洛伊克斯島，並且利用抓來的當地黑人奴隸開始修築工事。後來他們建造了一座石造的堡壘，並命名為克裡斯防禦堡壘 (Fort
Christiansvaern) ，以紀念國王克裡斯六世 (King
Christian VI) 。
美國獨立戰爭爆發時，丹麥決定保持中立。然而，因為丹麥與西印度群島的利益，中立政策往往遭到破壞。根據內政部 (Department of Interior) 於1988年提出的一份報告，獨立戰爭期間，這些島嶼至少曾經發生過一次走私事件。
The islands went back and forth between Spanish and French rule. Danish settlers arrived and began growing sugarcane using convicted criminals and, after 1678, African slaves, for labor. Over time, St. Thomas became a major Caribbean slave market. After the French sold the islands to Denmark in 1733, the Danish military took up residence on St. Croix and, using the captured leaders of a local black slave revolt, began work on a fortification. Later they built a permanent masonry fort and named it Fort Christiansvaern ("Christian's Defense"), in honor of King Christian VI of Denmark-Norway.
Denmark's policy during the American Revolution was not to take sides. However, special interests in both Denmark and the West Indies often caused that policy to be violated. According to a 1988 report by the Department of the Interior, there was also at least one incident of smuggling on the islands during the Revolution.
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