St. John is a member of the Lesser Antilles within the Virgin Islands.  It is one of the smallest islands with an area of about 19 square miles (9 miles long and 5 miles wide).  It is a mountainous island with a vast and diverse ecology.  With a population of only 3,300 and an average yearly temperature of 81°F, it is no wonder this island is such a great escape for many from the fast-paced real world. 

    This island was originally inhabited by the Arawak Indians in about 300AD, who lived peacefully there hunting and fishing off the island.  Then, about 100 years before the arrival of Christopher Columbus, the cannibalistic Carib Indians also inhabited the island, causing turmoil between the tribes.  The arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1493 in addition to the Spanish colonists on the island marked the beginnings of slavery on St. John.  Both the Arawak and Carib Indians were forced to work on the Spanish mines and farms.  Conditions were so bad for the slaves, that most of the Indians dies of malnutrition and disease.  By the time the Danes, British and French had arrived at the Virgin Islands, the Indian population had disappeared.

   In the 1700's, the Danes settled St. John cultivating sugar cane, tobacco and cotton, all profitable from the labor of plantation slaves.  The slaves in the Virgin Islands outnumbered the Europeans 5 to 1.  Out of fear of rebellion, the Danes issued an extremely harsh slave code, torturing disobedient and rebellious slaves.  Nevertheless, in September of 1733, after a summer of drought, an insect plague, and two hurricanes the slaves of St. John rebelled and took over the island for 6 months.  French troops then arrived to put down the rebellion.  Many slaves, to avoid being captured and tortured to death, committed suicide by jumping off the cliffs at Ram's Head.  Legend has it that some 300 slaves jumped to their deaths.

   Finally, in 1848, slavery was abolished.  This led to the decline of all the plantations on the island, but many ruins still exist on St. John, including the Annaberg Sugar Mill along with other smaller plantations.  In 1917, the US purchased the Virgin Islands from Denmark to use as a potential naval base, and out of fear of German expansion.  Residents were granted US citizenship in 1927, but were under direct US control until about 1968, when they elected their first Governor. 

   Since then, the tourism industry has been flourishing in the Virgin Islands.  St. John's has always been an attractive vacation spot.  It is one of the most non-commercialized islands and about 2/3 of the island has been declared a National Park.  It's beautiful beaches, rich subtropical vegetation, spectacular underwater coral reefs, and diverse culture and history continues to attract many tourists year-round.