Danish West India Company
Encyclopedia
The Danish West India Company or Danish West India-Guinea Company was a Danish chartered company
that exploited colonies in the Danish West Indies
. It was founded as the Danish Africa Company in 1659 in Glückstadt
by a German Hendrik Carloff
and two Dutchmen Isaac Coymans and Nicolaes Pancras. Included were the Caribbean
islands of St. Thomas
, St. John
, and St. Croix
(which are today’s United States Virgin Islands
) and the Danish Gold Coast
in present-day Ghana
.
The Virgin Islands
were a Danish colony from the 17th century. The Danes settled St. Thomas in 1672, St. John in 1718, and St. Croix in 1733. The Vestindisk kompagni was established March 11, 1671, and from August 30, 1680, became known as Det Vestindisk-Guineiske kompagni.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the company flourished from the North Atlantic triangular trade
routes. Slaves from the Gold Coast of Africa were traded for molasses and rum in the West Indies. The company administered the colonies until 1754, when the Danish government's "Chamber of Revenues" took control. From 1760 to 1848, the governing body was known as Vestindisk-guineiske rente- og generaltoldkammer. This led to a brief establishment of Det Guineiske kompagni via Royal resolution of March 18, 1765, to maintain the trade with the Danish Gold Coast colonies. In November, they received the forts of Christiansborg and Fredensborg for 20 years. The company, however, never enjoyed a trade monopoly like the Dutch West India Company
. Competition for trade remained amongst all Danish, Norwegian
, Schleswig
and Holstein
companies.
The financially troubled company was liquidated on November 22, 1776. In anticipation of this, the Danish government took control of the granted forts from August-September 1775.
Chartered company
A chartered company is an association formed by investors or shareholders for the purpose of trade, exploration and colonization.- History :...
that exploited colonies in the Danish West Indies
Danish West Indies
The Danish West Indies or "Danish Antilles", were a colony of Denmark-Norway and later Denmark in the Caribbean. They were sold to the United States in 1916 in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies and became the United States Virgin Islands in 1917...
. It was founded as the Danish Africa Company in 1659 in Glückstadt
Glückstadt
Glückstadt is a town in the Steinburg district of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is located on the right bank of the Lower Elbe at the confluence of the small Rhin river, about northwest of Altona...
by a German Hendrik Carloff
Hendrik Carloff
Henry Carloff or Henrik Caerloff , and several other variants began his carreer as a cabin boy, but rose to a soldier, clerk, auditor, payroll administrator, Commander and Director of the Dutch West India Company. He then joined the pseudo Swedish Africa Company and the pseudo Danish Africa...
and two Dutchmen Isaac Coymans and Nicolaes Pancras. Included were the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
islands of St. Thomas
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and with the islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Located on the island is the territorial capital and port of...
, St. John
Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint John is an island in the Caribbean Sea and a constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. St...
, and St. Croix
Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Croix is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Formerly the Danish West Indies, they were sold to the United States by Denmark in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies of...
(which are today’s United States Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
) and the Danish Gold Coast
Danish Gold Coast
The Danish Gold Coast was a part of the Gold Coast , which is on the West African Gulf of Guinea...
in present-day Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
.
The Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
were a Danish colony from the 17th century. The Danes settled St. Thomas in 1672, St. John in 1718, and St. Croix in 1733. The Vestindisk kompagni was established March 11, 1671, and from August 30, 1680, became known as Det Vestindisk-Guineiske kompagni.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the company flourished from the North Atlantic triangular trade
Triangular trade
Triangular trade, or triangle trade, is a historical term indicating among three ports or regions. Triangular trade usually evolves when a region has export commodities that are not required in the region from which its major imports come...
routes. Slaves from the Gold Coast of Africa were traded for molasses and rum in the West Indies. The company administered the colonies until 1754, when the Danish government's "Chamber of Revenues" took control. From 1760 to 1848, the governing body was known as Vestindisk-guineiske rente- og generaltoldkammer. This led to a brief establishment of Det Guineiske kompagni via Royal resolution of March 18, 1765, to maintain the trade with the Danish Gold Coast colonies. In November, they received the forts of Christiansborg and Fredensborg for 20 years. The company, however, never enjoyed a trade monopoly like the Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Among its founding fathers was Willem Usselincx...
. Competition for trade remained amongst all Danish, Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Schleswig
Schleswig
Schleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark; the territory has been divided between the two countries since 1920, with Northern Schleswig in Denmark and Southern Schleswig in Germany...
and Holstein
Holstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
companies.
The financially troubled company was liquidated on November 22, 1776. In anticipation of this, the Danish government took control of the granted forts from August-September 1775.