Transfer Day 1917 and the Centennial Ceremony 2017 One Hundred Years of History

The Twenty-five-Million Dollar Payment for purchase of the Danish West Indies from Denmark by the United States. (Photo courtesy @Clinedinst Studio)

On March 31, 1917, Denmark formally transferred the Danish West Indies to the United States in a ceremony held at multiple locations across the islands. The transfer, conducted simultaneously on St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix, was led by Danish and American officials, including Commander Edwin T. Pollock, the designated U.S. representative. The United States purchased the islands for $25 million, securing a strategic naval position in the Caribbean during World War I.

Minister Brun’s Receipt for the $25,000,000 paid through the Secretary Of State to the Danish Government. (Photo courtesy @Clinedinst Studio)

St. Thomas Assembled to Witness Transfer Ceremonies and Commander Pollock Reading President Wilson’s First Proclamation (Photos by Clare E. Taylor)

Ascent of Old Glory (Photo by H. Hassell) and Descent of Old Dannebrog (Photo by H. Petersen)

Transfer Ceremony Details

The primary ceremony took place on St. Thomas at the Danish Barracks, now the Legislature building.
A Danish honor guard from the cruiser Valkyrien and an American honor guard stood facing each other in front of the barracks.
Governor of the Danish West Indies, representing King Christian X, signed the transfer protocol with U.S. representatives.
The Danish flag was lowered as the Danish national anthem played, followed by a 21-gun salute.
The American flag was raised as the American national anthem played, followed by another 21-gun salute.
Bishop E.C. Greider delivered a prayer.
Commander Edwin T. Pollock was appointed acting governor of the newly named Virgin Islands of the United States.
The retired Danish governor departed, and a 17-gun salute honored Pollock’s new role.
On St. Croix, proclamations were read in Christiansted and Frederiksted, with similar flag-changing ceremonies.
On St. John, the proclamation was read by a police assistant, followed by a flag change.

Following the transfer, the U.S. Navy established a base on St. Thomas to protect the Panama Canal from potential threats during World War I.

Click here to view the video of Transfer Day courtesy of the Danish Consulate.

2017 Centennial Commemoration

March 31, 2017, marked the 100th anniversary of the transfer. Commemoration events were held in both Christiansted and Charlotte Amalie, including speeches, a parade, and a naturalization ceremony. Government House was decorated with the flags of the United States, Denmark, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Junie Bomba sounds the conch horn to begin the 2017 Transfer Day ceremonies in Christiansted. (Source photo by Linda Morland)

Government House was decorated for the 2017 Transfer Day festivities in Christiansted in bright red, white and blue with the flags of the United States, Denmark and the United States Virgin Islands waving in the wind. (Source photo by Linda Morland)

Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen addressed attendees in Christiansted, acknowledging Denmark’s history with slavery. “Slavery was unforgivable,” Rasmussen said. “The men and women of the Virgin Islands who defied suppression. They risked their lives so others could be free.”

Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen holds hands with his wife, Sólrun Jákupsdóttir Løkke Rasmussen, as they listen to the proceedings of the 2017 Centennial Transfer Day in Christiansted. Pictured with the Prime Minister are Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett, U.S. Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke, and U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Kenneth Mapp. (Source photo by Linda Morland)

He emphasized that the past continues to shape the present-day Virgin Islands. “What happened in the past has affected where the islands are today.”

Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen addresses the attendees at the 2017 Transfer Day Celebration in Christiansted. (Source photo by Linda Morland)

The transfer remains a pivotal moment in the Virgin Islands’ history, marking the region’s shift from Danish to American governance and its strategic role in U.S. defense during the early 20th century.