Saint Thomas (Brandenburg colony)
Encyclopedia
The Brandenburg
colony
of St. Thomas consisted of a leased part of the Danish
island of St. Thomas (today part of the United States Virgin Islands
)
Margraviate of Brandenburg
had several African
colonies, including Brandenburger Gold Coast
(Groß Friedrichsburg
) and Arguin
, which were involved in the slave trade
. In order to support this business, Brandenburg needed a base in the Caribbean
. For this reason, the Brandenburg Navy
-General Director Benjamin Raule signed a rental agreement with the Danish West India Company
on November 24, 1685. The agreement included a portion of the Danish Antilles
island of St. Thomas, which had belonged to Denmark since 1666. The ownership of the island would belong to the Danish King, but Brandenburg was granted the right to use the land. In 1693 the Brandenburg section of Saint Thomas was seized the Danes without any resistance or repayment. With the end of the Brandenburg African colonies (they were sold to the Dutch, Groß Friedrichsburg in 1718 and Arguin in 1721) there was no need to maintain a presence in Saint Thomas and the town completely passed from Brandenburg control.
. For each imported slave, the Danes would receive 1% and for each exported slave 2% of the purchase price. If Brandenburg had an excess number of slaves, the Danes agreed to buy 100 slaves per year at a fixed price of 80 Taler. Finally, Brandenburg and the Danes agreed to work together on slaving expeditions to the Slave Coast
. During the Brandenburg presence in Saint Thomas, some of the largest slave auctions in the world were held on the island
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
of St. Thomas consisted of a leased part of the Danish
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...
island of St. Thomas (today part of the 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...
)
History
In the 17th Century the Holy Roman EmpireHoly Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
Margraviate of Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
had several African
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
colonies, including Brandenburger Gold Coast
Brandenburger Gold Coast
The Brandenburger Gold Coast, later Prussian Gold Coast, was a part of the Gold Coast. The Brandenburg colony existed from 1682 to 1717.- Brandenburger Gold Coast :...
(Groß Friedrichsburg
Brandenburger Gold Coast
The Brandenburger Gold Coast, later Prussian Gold Coast, was a part of the Gold Coast. The Brandenburg colony existed from 1682 to 1717.- Brandenburger Gold Coast :...
) and Arguin
Arguin
Arguin is an island off the western coast of Mauritania in the Bay of Arguin, at 20° 36' N., 16° 27' W. It is six km long by two broad. Off the island are extensive and dangerous reefs...
, which were involved in the slave trade
Atlantic slave trade
The Atlantic slave trade, also known as the trans-atlantic slave trade, refers to the trade in slaves that took place across the Atlantic ocean from the sixteenth through to the nineteenth centuries...
. In order to support this business, Brandenburg needed a base in 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...
. For this reason, the Brandenburg Navy
Brandenburg Navy
The Brandenburg Navy was the navy of the Margraviate of Brandenburg in Germany from the 16th century to 1701, when it became part of the Prussian Navy....
-General Director Benjamin Raule signed a rental agreement with the Danish West India Company
Danish West India Company
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....
on November 24, 1685. The agreement included a portion of the Danish Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
island of St. Thomas, which had belonged to Denmark since 1666. The ownership of the island would belong to the Danish King, but Brandenburg was granted the right to use the land. In 1693 the Brandenburg section of Saint Thomas was seized the Danes without any resistance or repayment. With the end of the Brandenburg African colonies (they were sold to the Dutch, Groß Friedrichsburg in 1718 and Arguin in 1721) there was no need to maintain a presence in Saint Thomas and the town completely passed from Brandenburg control.
Slave Trade
The agreement between Brandenburg and the Danish West India Company included a number of sections on trade, primarily on slaves. They agreed that for 30 years a limited free trade (mostly on slaves) would apply. After the 30 year period, the price of a slave could not exceed 60 TalerThaler
The Thaler was a silver coin used throughout Europe for almost four hundred years. Its name lives on in various currencies as the dollar or tolar. Etymologically, "Thaler" is an abbreviation of "Joachimsthaler", a coin type from the city of Joachimsthal in Bohemia, where some of the first such...
. For each imported slave, the Danes would receive 1% and for each exported slave 2% of the purchase price. If Brandenburg had an excess number of slaves, the Danes agreed to buy 100 slaves per year at a fixed price of 80 Taler. Finally, Brandenburg and the Danes agreed to work together on slaving expeditions to the Slave Coast
Slave Coast
The Slave Coast is the name of the coastal areas of present Togo, Benin and western Nigeria, a fertile region of coastal Western Africa along the Bight of Benin. In pre-colonial time it was one of the most densely populated parts of the African continent...
. During the Brandenburg presence in Saint Thomas, some of the largest slave auctions in the world were held on the island