The National Park Service provides an account of the 1733 Slave Insurrection, the first instance in which enslaved people took control of a colony. The insurrection served as a spark to later slave revolts that would take place. They took fate into their own hands as they rose against their oppressors. The insurrection marks a significant historical event for Virgin Islanders who continue to recognize the men and women who risked their lives for freedom.

Our Emancipation Story is a retelling of the events of 1848 on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands which led to the emancipation of the enslaved in the former Danish West Indies. The events are told through four poems by local poet Richard Schrader. The purpose of the project is to integrate local writers into art, history, and literature in our Virgin Islands classrooms. It endeavors to build a VI literary canon and to encourage student wrietrs to add to the writers that came before them. The script was written by Regina Keels and filmed and produced by Douglas Canton.

The Digital Storytelling and Oral History Project is a student-centered initiative designed to connect young learners with the heritage stories of their community's past through the art of storytelling and the practice of oral history collection. This project encourages students to become active participants in the preservation of their cultural heritage by engaging with elders, community leaders, and family members to document stories, legends, personal histories, and the lived experiences of their community. 

This is an example of how teachers on a grade level can collaborate to create a Grade Level VI History Month Activity.

This teacher-made  PowerPoint presentation can be used by the Virgin Islands History teachers to teach the topic: AFRICAN SLAVERY. 

Archaeological research at a historic plantation site in the US Virgin Islands is revealing important insights about the lives of enslaved—and later free—Afro-Crucian people on the island of St. Croix. Join Ayana Omilade Flewellen, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of California, Riverside, and co-founder of the Society of Black Archaeologists, for a discussion of the research at St. Croix's Estate Little Princess, as well as the training opportunities it's providing to local youths and students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the U.S.

More than 2,000 years ago there was likely a thriving Taino community in the heart of Charlotte Amalie. In 2013 contractors began turning up shards of pottery and other artifacts during otherwise routine roadwork on Main Street near Market Square. Work was temporarily halted and archeologists were called in to help dig up what was described as a “major” find. Thousands of artifacts were eventually discovered in a relatively small area. A short documentary was later produced about the dig and the many interesting objects found on site. - - US Virgin Islands DPNR and the State Office of Historic Preservation

This resource presents the College, Career & Civic Life referred to as the C3 Framework for Social Studies via the Google Drive. Social Studies teachers can access the framework here as an Adobe Acrobat PDF. The framework has been utilized in the development of the Virgin Islands Standards of Achievement for Social Studies.

The Digital Archaeological Archive of Comparative Slavery (DAACS) is a Monticello initiative that collaborates with archaeologists working across North Ameri...

"David Hamilton Jackson and All Ahwe: Creative Expression for Cultivating Awareness and Social Change" is a project intended to stimulate our students' exploration of the dynamic relationship between art and community activism utilizing the tools of rights, respect, and responsibility. Through this initiative, students will have the opportunity to craft artistic pieces that capture the essence of David Hamilton Jackson's contributions to labor rights, press freedom, and civil liberties in the Virgin Islands of the United States. These creative works may manifest in various forms, including visual art, written compositions, music, and STEAM projects. 

The website ‘The West Indian Heritage’ tells its story using the buildings as a framework for understanding the structure, function, and people of the colony who were either forced to risk their lives producing the coveted goods or benefited from the profits on the goods throughout the first 150 years of the colony’s history.

In this enlightening lecture, Dr. Ayana Omilade Flewellen, a distinguished professor at Stanford University, explores the intersections of black feminism, archaeology, and storytelling. She advocates for the centrality of black women's experiences in historical narratives and discusses the multifaceted role of archaeology in public history and cultural preservation. The talk features her work with the Society of Black Archaeologists and Diving With a Purpose, emphasizing the need for diversity in the field and the significance of underwater archaeology in heritage conservation. Dr. Flewellen also presents the Estate Little Princess project in St. Croix, a groundbreaking initiative combining terrestrial and underwater archaeology to uncover and preserve Afro-Crucian history. The lecture is a compelling call to recognize and engage with the rich, often untold, histories that shape our world, making it a valuable resource for students, educators, and anyone interested in the dynamic fields of archaeology and cultural heritage.

Edward Wilmot Blyden (3 August 1832 – 7 February 1912) was a Liberian educator, author, diplomat, and politician who worked mostly in Liberia. He also spent five years teaching in Sierra Leone, and his writings had an impact in both countries.Blyden was born on 3 August 1832 in St Thomas, Danish West Indies (now known as the United States Virgin Islands) to Free Black parents from the Igbo tribe of modern-day Nigeria.Blyden edited the Liberia Herald from 1855 to 1856 and penned the editorial "A Voice From Bleeding Africa."He also spent time in other British colonies in West Africa, most notably Nigeria and Sierra Leone, where he wrote for both colonies' early newspapers.Additionally, he worked as an editor at The Negro and The African World. He maintained contacts with the American Colonization Society and contributed articles to their journals, African Depository and Colonial Journal.Blyden served as Liberia's ambassador to the United Kingdom and France as a diplomat. Blyden was named Liberia's Secretary of State as a young man (1862–64). He then served as Minister of the Interior from 1880 until 1882. Blyden is often considered the "founder of Pan-Africanism" as a writer. His magnum opus, Christianity, Islam, and the Negro Race (1887), argued that Islam was a more unifying and meaningful religion for Africans than Christianity.

In this comprehensive lecture, Dr. George Tyson, a renowned historian and leading scholar on the history of the Virgin Islands, provides an in-depth analysis of the 1848 Emancipation Revolt in the Virgin Islands. Celebrating the 175th anniversary of this pivotal event, Dr. Tyson's talk is part of Virgin Island's History Month, focusing on the theme "Emancipation Now: Understanding History, Living the Legacy, and Creating a Just Future for All."Dr. Tyson, with his extensive background in teaching and historical preservation, emphasizes the collective action of thousands of enslaved persons achieving emancipation, challenging the traditional narrative that credits the event to a few individuals. He meticulously recounts the events leading up to and following the July 3rd uprising, highlighting the peaceful nature of the revolt compared to other emancipation movements in the Caribbean. The lecture delves into the historical context, including the influence of royal decrees and the spirit of protest among the enslaved population.Dr. Tyson argues for the importance of understanding emancipation as part of a broader democratic movement against royalism and social injustice, linking it to the American, French, and Haitian revolutions. A significant portion of the talk is dedicated to identifying key emancipation sites on St. Croix, advocating for their preservation as educational tools and historical monuments. 

1. To introduce students to the Caribbean influence in hip-hop music, focusing on the pioneering group Salt-N-Pepa and the contemporary success of R. City.2. To explore how artists from the Virgin Islands and the Caribbean have contributed to the popularity and expansion of hip-hop music.3. To encourage students to appreciate and celebrate their cultural heritage while embracing diverse narratives in the world of music.

This teacher-made  PowerPoint presentation can be used by the Virgin Islands History teachers to teach the topic: THE FIRST VIRGIN ISLANDERS during the Pre-Columbus Era.

These lesson plans delve deep into the pivotal event of the 1878 Fireburn, a very significant labor uprising in the Virgin Islands, rooted in struggles for human and labor rights. The Fireburn remains a testament in Virign Islands history of the courage of estate laborers such as Mary Thomas, Axeline Salomon, Mathilde McBean, and Susanna Abramson. The students will be taken through the socio-political landscape of the former Danish West Indies through interactive activities, multimedia resources, and critical discussions that understand the events leading up to the uprising and its profound aftermath. This module is to be designed with the purpose of educating but, at the same time, encouraging pride and recognition from those who sacrificed so much by standing up against their own oppression and daring to imagine a more equitable life,, giving way to the current freedoms that exist today in the Virgin Islands of the United States. 

This is an activity book prepared for elementary school learners by the US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. There are coloring pages and puzzles designed to engage students in learning the Virgin Islands History.