This lesson plan was developed by English Teacher Regina Keels in collaboration with local poet, historian, and writer Richard Schrader.  In this lesson, students will learn about the 1848 Slave Rebellion that led to the emancipation of enslaved Afticans in the Danish West Indies and write and present their own expression of the events. 

Melvin Herbert Evans is the Virgin Islands' first elected governor. Evans graduated from Howard University with a B.S. in 1940 and from the Howard College of Medicine with an M.D. four years later, following graduation from high school on St. Thomas. He then worked in a variety of medical and public health positions for the United States and the Virgin Islands.

The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
Vol. 22, The United States and Latin America (Jul., 1903), pp. 99-110 (12 pages)

OUR STORIES is a teaching resource about Danish colonialism in the West Indies written with support from the Ministry of Culture Denmark. The Preface to this teaching resource states as follows:

"On March 31st, 2017, the large atrium inside Copenhagen City Hall was resonating with voices. Around the atrium were numerous different exhibits with text, photos and other forms of creative expression, all made by high school students. They had all participated in a contest to create the best presentation of Danish-Caribbean colonial history with the theme of “Pictures from the Past for the Future”. Around the city hall itself, debates, workshops, film screenings and concerts dealing with the U.S. Virgin Islands and Danish colonial history were taking place. The event was happening because on that day, March 31st, 2017, it had been 100 years since the sale of the islands of St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John to the United States by the Danish government. The event was attended by high school students from the U.S. Virgin Islands and by the Danish high school students who had created the exhibits in the atrium. All of them having explored the same stories, their discussions and exhibits became part of a conversation about the way history is experienced and remembered, how it is used and told. These questions will also be our point of departure when working with the present teaching material."

This reading lesson is intervention for first graders students. Using the text Our Heroes: From A to Z,  by Harold W. L. Willocks, teacher will guide students in reading,  and also enhance their understanding of the qualities that makes outstanding virgin Island heroes. Image: Picture of book cover provided by Susan Jones

Reexamination of the Insular Cases

Decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in the first decade of the 20th century, the Insular Cases are a series of decisions that established the status of the residents of territories which had recently been acquired by the United States during and immediately after the Spanish-American War. These cases remain the basis for the relationship between the territories and the rest of the United States.1 Many attorneys in the territories say the Insular Cases are the reason they went to law school. However, the Insular Cases are much less well known outside of the territories and are not included in some law school curricula.

Slavery in the Caribbean is a 2009 WebQuest developed by Jennifa Mohammed in fulfillment of technology course at the University of the Virgin Islands. Working in groups of three, students are required to research general information on slavery in three Caribbean islands chosen from a provided list. Each group is required to create a PowerPoint presentation to inform classmates on the group's findings. Presentation of the PowerPoint must be from the viewpoint of a slave in that particular island during slavery. Students will discuss comparisons between slavery in the various islands.

This is a teacher-made PowerPoint slide that can be used by the Virgin Islands History Teachers for discussing the lesson: Transfer Day. The term "Transfer Day" refers to the day that the Danish West Indies officially became a part of the United States,  the US  Virgin Islands. On March 31, 1917, at 4:00 p.m., the United States paid Denmark $25,000,000 for the Danish West Indies. Disclaimer:  The original content, video, and image rights do not belong to me. In the references section, proper acknowledgment is provided.

From June - July 2023, the U.S. Virgin Islands commemorated 175 Years of Emancipation. This booklet, considered an instructional tool, iconic cultural bearers Ten Sleepless Knights (TSK) reflected on how far Virgin Islanders have come as a people. In the words of TSK INC, "In 2023, we are able to look back and evaluate how our lives today have been shaped by events of July 3, 1848. "As an institution, slavery was a brutal and oppressive system that controlled the day to day existence of our ancestors. The bravery and determination of many individuals who wanted a better future for themselves and their loved ones were largely responsible for bringing an end to this evil institution." The booklet is intended to be utilized as an instructional tool for educators locally and beyond.

Excavations on St. Croix fill in history’s blanksAn all-black team of archaeologists explains their approach to unearthing the day-to-day lives of enslaved A...

This 11-12th grade unit plan was designed for the 9th Annual Virgin Islands Literary Festival and Book Fair, April 2023.  English Teacher Regina Keels, a member of the festival committee, developed the unit, executed the lessons as indicated, and demonstrated the Socratic Seminar with colleague Cynthia Santos along with their students during the festival.  The unit can be be amended for other Virgin Islands political leaders and their speeches or for the speeches of political leaders globally.

“Every year in March, we honor our Virgin Islands' exceptional history and culture, as well as the achievements and contributions of its people. As Virgin Islanders, it is critical that we honor our forefathers' fortitude and continue to build on their great successes.This PowerPoint slide has hyperlinks for teachers to use in celebrating the significant celebration for virgin islands History Month.

In collaboration with the Department of Planning and Natural Resources' Division of Preservation, the Virgin Islands Architectural Center, and the Division of Virgin Islands Cultural Education, the slides provided on the supplemental resources sheet explain the architectural and cultural practices that shaped and formed many of the Virgin Islands Historic structures and district's architecture. Learn about the materials and ventricular system that were developed in the Virgin Islands

The St. John Heritage Collective hosts a panel discussion regarding the importance of Virgin Islands Creole.

Friendship Day between the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico is a public holiday observed in the United States Virgin Islands on the second Monday of October. The holiday was established in 1964 by Governor Paiewonsky to recognize Puerto Ricans who live in the Virgin Islands or have made significant contributions to the territory.
The date was chosen to coincide with Columbus Day, as it was seen as "an ideal day for recognizing Americans' solidarity with the Caribbean.

Dr. Hadiya Sewer joins the show to talk about her work with the VI Studies Collective and the St. John Heritage Collective.

1:58 Bajo el Sol Gallery Events
9:56 Theodora Moorehead
11:17 Recovery, changes, developments on St. John since “Irmaria”
16:50 The VI Studies Collective
24:24 Responses from VISCO workshops
30:39 Break
31:45 “Colonialism without Colonizers” speech and British Virgin Islands
40:06 Responses to new governor in US Virgin Islands, Albert Bryan, Jr.
44:09 U.S. Federal government shutdown and the National Park on St. John
47:21 2020 Census, citizenship question, VI delegate to Congress
49:26 Green New Deal and climate justice
57:09 Outro