On March 31, 1917, the United States of America formally took possession of the Danish West Indies after paying $25 million to Denmark, renaming the territory the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). The date is celebrated with a holiday each year in the USVI called Transfer Day; the holiday is the subject of Sophie Schiller’s 2012 novel Transfer Day. The United States’ interest in the Virgin … Continue reading The U.S. Virgin Islands