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~ , -- I --- i .,' THE HISTORICAL RECORDS OF I THE .', --- .~.- -- U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS: A REPORT AND. --~ - - ---- ---- ! PROGRAM PLAN' GEORGE F. TYSON, Jr. Staff Historian Island Resources Foundation 1977 This paper was prepared under grants from the National Endowment for th~ Humanities of Washington, D.C. and the Island Resources Foundation of St. Thomas, u.S. Virgin Islands. "For a creative future to emerge, the past must be put on our list of possessions." George Lamming .. , : TABLE OF CONTENTS 'Page No. PREFACE 1-12 SECTION I: REPORT ON PRE-1917 STATE RECORDS OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS Introduction The State Records of the Danish West Indies The Danish West Indian Records at the Rigsarkivet Danish West Indian Records at the U.S. National Archives Finding Aids to Danish West Indian Records State Records of the Virgin Islands in European Repositories Microfilms SECTION II: PLAN FOR A VIRGIN ISLANDS HISTORICAL RECORDS PROGRAM Program Components: An Overview Program Development Outline Archival Surveys Microfilming Staff Institutional Cooperation and Support Budget CONCLUSION APPENDIX I (Phase I Budge~ Est±mate~) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 14 15 - 37 37-40 41-44 44-49 49 - 51 53- 61 61-64 64-66 66-74 74-78 79 -81 81-82 83-86 87-92 93 - 1- PREFACE The U.S. Virgin Islands (esseritially the islands of St. Croix, St. Thrimas and St. Johri) hive bid a rich and exciting historical experience thit unfortunately has gone largely un- recorded. Five major European powers held sovereignty over the is lands during the years between the arrival of Columbus in 1493 and their transfei from Denmark to the United States in 1917. In the course of these~eriteerithceritury the Dutch, the English and the French all occupied St. Croix for short periods of time, while in 1672 Denmark succe~sfu11y established a col- ony on St. Thomas. In 1717 the TIanes extended th~ir control to the island of St. Johri, and sixteen years later they acquired St. Croix from the French. Thereaftei, exce~t for two brief periods of British occupation (1801-1802 and 1807-1815), the is- lands remained under Danish dominion until being sold to the United States. - 2- During the four centuries of European dominance each Eur- opean sovereign recorded the history of its rule in its national language, and each deposited the most important historical docu- ments in its national archives. Today, therefore, the histor- ical records relating to the history of the Virgin Islands before 1917 are dispersed in several distant continental repositories, and consequently have been under utilized by local or national scholars. More than three thousand linear shelf feet of documents pertaining to the Virgin Islands before 1917 are housed at the 1 Rigsarkivet ln Copenhagen. These records, most of which are recorded in Danish gothic script, include the archives of the West Indian government which were shipped back to Denmark from the islands in 1898 and 1918. Elsewhere in Europe, manuscript material relating to the Virgin Islands is combined (often in- discriminately) with other state papers deposited in the nation- al archives of England, France, Holland and Spain. 2 A smaller, though important collection of Danish West Indian records is 3 held by the U.S. National Archives in Washington, D.C. Few IPor a description of the West Indian records at the Rigsar- ki vet see pp. 15 - 37 below. 2For these records see pp. 44-49 below. 3Por a description of these records see pp. 37-40 below. There is also a small collection of miscellaneous Danish West Indian state papers at the Bancroft Library of the University of Calif- ornia at Berkeley. Microfilmed copies of this material are avail- able at the St. Thomas Public Library. The collection is describ- ed in a shelflist entitled "Documents relating to the Danish West Indies, 1655-1852". - 3- historical records of significance are currently located in the Virgin Islands. l Thus, the islands continue to suffer from the legacy of colonialism, for their most important historical docu- ments, and hence their history itself, remain almost exclusively under the control of former European rulers. The inaccessibility of basic historical resources has had far reaching repercussions in the Virgin Islands, not the least of which is a pervasive sense of loss and alienation. "It's as if the Danes sailed off with our history, our past," lamented one Cruzan in recalling that the local archives had been shipped 2 to Denmark. Indeed, the past still belongs to the colonizers, not the colonized, a truth not only underscored by the present location of the historical records, but explained by the regret- able fact that to date almost every scholarly study published on the Danish West Indies (and there have been precious few overall) has been written by a Dane, in the Danish language (which is not understood locally except by a few old Danish families), for a Danish audience, with a pronounced Danish bias. 3 IThe locally available records, primarily police and court re- cords dating from the second half of the nineteenth century, are currently being inventoried by staff members of the St. Thomas Public Library. In addition, mortgage and deed records dating back to the early nineteenth century are located at the Recorder of Deeds offices in St. Thomas and St. Croix. 2Lillian (Plaskett) Denham, quoted in Th~ Daily News (St. Thomas), August I, 1975. 30nly one scholarly study of the Danish West Indies based on research in Danish archival material has been published in English: Waldemar Westergaard, The Danish West Indies Under Company Rule (1917), which unfortunately is our-oI print and, in many respects, out of date. -4- A pressing need exists for a genuinely indigenous historio- graphy based on serious archival research. As Ms. Enid M. Baa, former territorial librarian and leading advocate of a local ar- chives system, hasreteritly asserted: 1 There is a dearth of published Danish West Indian history, and itis up to our West Indian scholars to avail themselves of the source materials and produce their own history. However, largely due to theunavailabili ty of basic prlmary. source materials, local historicalsch6larship, programs and activities are virtually non-existent in the Virgin Islands. To date the few natives who have evinced a desire to search out and interpret their own history have been extremely reluctant to undertake serious ar- chival research, primarily because it would necessitate spending extended periods of time in Denmark, becoming familiar with the archives there, learning Danish and the gothic script, making con- siderable personal and cultural adjustments and expending large sums of their owti money. Thus the only local historian of note, J. Antonio Jarvis, based his work almost exclusively on second- ary literature available in English, and,to a lesser extent Danish.2 1Enid M. Baa, "Her Majesty Queen MargretheII in the Virgin Is- lands: An Historical Perspective, II printed in Danish West Indian Friendship Festival 1977 program, p. 48. -- 2Jarvis, it should be noted, was not a trained historian. His historical or ethnohistorical writings include: B~ief History of the Virgin Islands (1938) and The Virgin Islands and Their People TI944). Other local amateur historians, such as Valdemar Hill Sr., Darwin Creque and D.C. Canegata,have either relied heavily upon Jarvis or available secondary literature when writing on the pre- 1917 period. The textbook currently in use at the College of the Virgin Islands, Isaac Dookhan, A History of the Virgin Islands of the United States (1974), is also based on secondary sources. - 5 - Until Virgin Islanders have greater access to the records of the past, they will be condemned to a continuing dependency upon historical information and formularizations dispensed by outsiders unfamiliar with local concerns, priorities and aspir- ations. The general lack of historical knowledge among Virgin Is- landers also has psychological consequences of some import. It compounds a profound "identity crisis" which has been diagnosed as gripping the local community. "Our characteristics are purely imitative. We have no history." So wrote one famous and influ- ential native son. 1 This negative attitude is common among Vir- gin Islanders for whom the past reeks of slavery and exploitation, degradation and non-accomplishment. Today, however, older atti- tudes of repudiation or indifference toward history are clashing with an intensifying quest among younger generations (whose sense of sustaining cultural values and historical traditions has been seriously fragmented by the onslaught of Americanization) for a definable and usable past. As one West Indian scholar has express- d · 2 e It: ... if we are to inform our society with that motive force which can transform the unjust system we have inherited, which divided and still divides us, if we are to become conscious to ourselves as a people, as an entity, then we must confront ourselves with origins, must lay claim to and take hold of our history. 1Rothschil d Francis in an editorial in the Eniancipa tor (St . Thomas) , August 9, 1937. This is a typically West Indian viewpoint. "West Indians are frightened and ashamed of the past," observed the noted . Trinidadian novelist V. S. Naipaul, who himself asserted: "The history of the islands can never be satisfactorily told .... History is built around achievement and creation, and nothing was created in the West Indies." See The Middle Passage (1962), pp. 29,201. 2Sylvia Wynter, Jamaica Journal, Vol. I, No. I (1968). -6- Virgin Islanders like other West Indians are beginning to ac- knowledge the need for positive historical definition~ In their search for roots, for a new self concept that integrates histor- ical reality with future aspirations, they are demanding more precise information about local history and culture generally, and about the experience of their Afro-Westindian ancestors in particular. Their demands and expectations, however, are doom- ed to continued frustration if the historical record is not made more available to local students, scholars and laymen. The inaccessibility of the historical record not only impedes local efforts at self awareness and perpetuates negative or false perceptions, but it frequently inhibits public business. The territorial historical perservation program, the new territorial park system, the Bureau of Libraries, Museums and Archaeological Services, as well as the u.S. National Park Service, which oper- ates two major facilities in the islands, all have an on-going need for factual and interpretative documentation that is simply not available at the present time. In the area of education it has long been recognized that Virgin Island history should be studied not only in its own right, but "as a key to understanding ... present social and economic pro- blems."l Yet efforts to develop more locally appropriate social IBertha Boschulte, quoted in The Daily News (St. Thomas), June 1-2, 1950. - 7- studies curricula, cultural programs, textbooks and other instruc- tional mateiial suffei chionically because students, teachers and reseirch~rs hiveinsufficierit access to primary source mat- erials. The opportunity for promoting academic training in his- torical methodology, in historical modes of inquiry, analysis and perception is likewise short-circuited. It must be further emphasized that the value of the pre- 1917 records of the Virgin Islands transcends terri torial bOund- aries and considerations. National scholars, particularly thOse interested in New World colonial societies and slaveiy, will find the records pertaining to Danish rule especially rich and reward- lng. The Danes kept extensive and meticulously detailed records, and the collections have not only survived, but are unusually comprehensive in scope and content when compared to the records of other colonial powers. Th~ records cover e~ery significant aspect of insular life over two and a half cerituries, including settlement and colonization, economic and social de~elopment, plantations, commerce, slavery and the slave trade, emancipation, peasants, demographic trends, institutional development, immigra- tion, labor relations, politics, religion, h~alth, cultural tra- ditions, race relations and international relations. The Danish records will be of special import to students of slavery. In the opinion of Dr. S.E. Green-Pedeiseri, a Danish specialist on the Danish slave trade, the records on his subject J -8- are among the mos t comprehens i ve and ,there fore ;among the mos t important ln the world. 1 The same may be said of the Danish records relating to plantation slavery, which contain an extra- ordinary amount of quantitative data such as cerisuses, estate inventories, slave lists, probate and other legal records, in addition to numerous administrative reports, correspondence and topical files. Indeed, by judiciously utilizing the r~- cords dealing with Danish African settlements in conjunction with custom records and West Indian plantation re~ords and cen- suses, it should be possible to trace the life histories of not a few Virgin Islands families, in the same way that Alex Haley has traced his family ancestory in Roots. The Danish records also contain unusually detailed commer- cial statistics in the form of custom journals, monthly reports of imports and exports, quarterly abstracts of incoming and out- going ships, seapass books and other pertinent records. From the mid-eighteenth century St. Th6mas stood at th~ center of regional maritime life; and as Jean L. Willis has demonstrated in her outstanding dissertation,2 the United States was a lead- ing trading partner of the Danish islands. Important informa- tion about American colonial and national cornrnercecan therefore be found in the Danish records. Additionally, Danish archival material contains pertinent data concerning the American inter- ests in and acquisition of the islands. lInterview with the author, July 1977. 2"The Trade Between North America and the Danish West Indies, 1756-1807, With Special Reference to St. Croix," unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Columbia University, (1963). -9- From the foregoing discussion it is apparent that a dire need exists for a comprehensive program that not only will re- store the historical records of the Virgin Islands to the people of the Virgin Islands through microfilming or other forms of copying, but will also utilize these copied source materials to carry out long-term, systematic historical research, translation and dissemination projects. The establishment of such a program can be justified on the following grounds: * It would be consonant with the growing demand for more complete and accurate information about Vir- gin Islands history and culture. * It would restore the records of the past to the people of the Virgin Islands, while making them more accessible to national scholars. * It would facilitate sustained historical research by local and national scholars. * It would service governmental agencies requiring historical research and information. * It would provide a source of enrichment for educa- tional materials and curricula. * It would insure that records which are already in an advanced state of decomposition could be copied before they become completely unusable by research- ers. * It would provide Virgin Islanders with new career opportunities and professional training. * It would function as a much needed focal point, catalyst and resource center for local, national and international activities pertaining to the history of the Virgin Islands. * It would serve to improve the knowledge, perfor- mance and professional skills of scholars, educa- tors, librarians, archivists and students. -10 - - ! A plan for a Virgin Islands Historical Records Program has been prepared by the Island Resources Foundation of St. Thomas, under a matching grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (s,ee Sect ion I I) . In brief, it calls for a fi rst phase in which the program would devote its resources to estab- lishing an administrative frame~ork, developing and training a professional staff, surveying all state records relating to the pre-1917 history of the Virgin Islands in European and American repositories, and microfilming or otherwise copying the most significant overseas records so that at least one copy would be available in the Virgin Islands. Phase I (the developmental phase) would, therefore, create an essential infrastructural base from which specific research, translation and publication efforts, as well as further survey and copying projects, would procede during Phase II (the implementation phase). The development and implementation of such a largescale historical records pro gram is an extreme ly complex and expens i ve undertaking. Phase I would invol ve a four to five year effort, with a total direct cost budget of approximately $335,000.00. Five full or part time staff members must be recruited from the Virgin Islands and Denmark. Institutional cooperation and fund- ing support must be sought from various organizations in the Virgin Islands, the United States and Denmark. - 11- It is proposed that the government of the Virgin Islands assume full administrative responsibility and partial fin- ancial responsibility for establishing Phase I of the V.I. Hist- orical Records Program. It is further recommended that the V.I. government give serious consideration to contracting with a qualified, independent, territorial organization, such as the Island Resources Foundation, to act on its behalf in implement- ing Phase I. Phase II of the proposed Program would be directly administered and supported by the government of the Virgin Islands. In adopting a V.I. Historical Records Program the Virgin Islands would be following precedents established by other state governments, such as North Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming, which have created state funded historical agencies to carry out the work of surveying, collecting, copying, researching, translat- ing and publishing official and private manuscripts pertaining to state history.1 Moreover, the proposed Program would constitute a direct response to Resolution No. 864 (Bill No. 7419) adopted by the Twelfth Legislature of the u.s. Virgin Islands on March 28, 1977, in which the Legislature resolved: To Authorize and Request the Governor to Undertake An Archives Translation Program With Respect to the Multitude of Danish Records Housed in the Royal Ar- chives and Royal Library in Copenhagen, Denmark, Covering the Entire Period of Danish Occupation of the Virgin Islands. As suggested by the above Resolution the proposed V.I. Histor- lPor a survey of these and other types of state historical and archival agencies see Ernst Posner, American State Archives (1964). -12- ical Records Program could be incorporated into a territorial ar- chives program as authorized on March 14, 1967, by Act. No. 1880 of the Seventh Legislature of the Virgin Islands. A plan for a V.I. Historical Records is pres~nted in Section II of this report. However, as the plan is based to a consider- able extent on the nature and volumeof the records involved, it is necessary first to review and describe the pre-1917 state records of the Virgin Islands in Se~tion I. -13- ... :. -- SECTI N I: . E RT on .RE-l 17 S1 ]-E EC R 5 OF T E VI' I ISL 5 -14 - The official or statere~ords relating to the pre~19l7 history of the U. S. Virgin Islands can be -broken down into two broad categories: 1) thestatere~ords of th~Danish West In- dies; and 2) the state records of other- European colonizers. - , Because the Danish West Indian records are -by far the most vol- uminous, important and concentrated, they have been surveyed preparatory to this report. In the ~age~ that follow the var- ious collections of these Danish re~ords are identified, their provenance noted, their contents des~rib~d (~s far as space per- mits) and appropriate finding aids cited. In addition, collec- tion size is specified as accurately as possible, and the amount of material sufficiently important to warrant microfilming is estimated. l The state records in other European repositories were not surveyed, and are therefore only cursorily discussed. lIt must be stressed that the voltime of material designated for microfilming is approximate and has b~eri estimated primarily for the purpose of establishing the minimum number of records that should be copied, so as to determine a time ~cheduleand budget requirements for Phase I of th~ proposed V.I. Historical Records Program, as set forth in the next section. The figures are collated and summarized on page 34 below. The following criteria have been used in selecting material for microfilming: a) significance of information; b) rele~anceto Virgin Islands history as opposed to strictly Danish colonial or administra- tive history; c) originality; d) legibility and gerieral condi- tion; e) research value compared to vol-ume; and f) incidence of use by researchers. - 15- The State Records of the Danish West Indies Danish West Indian state records areloc~ted in two major repositories: the Rigsarkivet in Copenhagen, and the U.S. National Archive~ in Washington, D.C. 1 Nearly all of this material is recorded in Danish, and 1S handwritten in the Gothic script which was in use until abOut· 1875 . Considered first will be the records at the Rigsarkivet. They run in excess of three thousand linear shelf feet, com- prise over 13,500 bound volumes or packets, and are far and away the most important of the two collections. TIle Danish West Indian Records at the Rigsarkivet There are two main groups of West Indian records at the Rigsarkivet: 1) the records of the government in the West Indies, hereafter referred to as the West Indian Local Archives; and 2) the records of the various Danish state offices or organizations responsible for administra- tion of colonial affairs, henceforth termed the Danish Cen- tral Administration Records. IThere is also a small collection of miscellaneous Danish West Indian state papers at the Bancroft Library of the University of California at Berkeley. -16 - . , The West India Local Archives The West India local archives consist of those records retained in th~ islands from the time the Danish government assumed direct administrative con- trol from the Danish West India and Guinea Company (1754) until about the time the islands were sold to the United States. For the most part, these re- cords, compile{ by various colonial officials in the daily exeiciseof the"ir offices, illuminate in micro- scopic detail th~local history of th~is1ands. To some extent thef contain copies of correspondence, statistics and documents sent to, and received from, Denmark, the originals of which material can be found in the Danish Central Administration Records. But most of th~ documents, particularly th~ police and court records and various case or subject dossiers (.6a.ge.fL) , are not duplicated elsewhere. Whereas most of these documents date from 1754, the collection includes some material from th~ earl- ler period of Company rule, which unfortunately is unavailable to the public because of its poor condi- tion. Inde~d, the overall condition of th~ collect- ion leave~ something to bede~ired. Thi ~aterial is haphazardly stored, and loose papers, or volumes with -17 - deteriorated bindings, are riot boxed or otherwise protected. Certain of th~documents have been sev- erely ravaged by tropical climate and insects, and their paper is in an advanced state of decay. I Nev- ertheless, most of theretords are still legible, are available "for use by reseirchers, and can be microfilmed. Unfortunately, the value of this enormously important collection is limited by the fact that is has not been systematically surveyed or inven- . d 2 torle . The records, wh~chcovei virtually every as- pect of local administration, can be subdivided into the following catagories: * Records of the Governor General's Office, which include incoming and outgoing correspondence with officials in Denmark, local colonial officials and residents, officials in foreign West Indie~; documents and subject dossiers relating to the above corre~ponderice; proiocbl books, journals, registeis, extractbook~, copybooks and drafts for 1Por an equally negative assessment by two Danish historians, see the article "Study of West Indian History" in the Daily News (St. Thomas) May 28, 1976, which was written by two Danish hist- orians, Ove Hornby and Ole Justesen. 2A very general shelflist can be found in Rlg~anQlv~t And~ilng G~n~naln~gl~tnatun (1974). -18 - the above correspondence; Privy Council deliber- ations and cases; placard and order books; burgher oaths; medical re~o~ds of the state physician, hrispitals and private doctor~; correspondence and accounts of the state bOokkeeper; correspondence and accounts of the custom officials; warehouse accoun ts; dos s ie is on various topics. * Upper Court Records, which include records of cases heard in the Upper or State Court; ship certif- icates; records of the West Indian Debt Liquid- ation Commission; legal and business records rel- ating to state ~ropeities. * Records of the Magistrate's Office, which include police journals; criminal case records; sentence books; town court proceedings; reconciling court proceedings; mortgage and loan records; auction books; prob~te cases; fee books; records of births, baptisms, marriagei and deaths; wills; estate in- ventories and e~aluations. * Records of the Upper Guardians, which include cor- respondence, inventories, legal documents, business accounts relating to properties which were placed under the temporary stewardship of the upper guard- ians or public trustees. - 19- * Burgher Council Records, which include minutes of proceedings, cases, documents and accounts. * St. Thomas Governmerit Records, which include lncom- lng and outgoing correspondence with Denmark, the Governor General's Office, local colonial offi- cials and residents, and foreign West Indian auth- orities; documents relating to the above corres- pondence; protocol books, registers, journals, copybooks, drafts for the above ~orrespondence; dossiers on special subjects. * Military Records, which include correspondence and papers relating to forts, barracks, recruits and military matters generally. * Gendarme Records, which include correspondence, papers, accounts relating to the local Gendarmes. * Miscellaneous, unorganized records and dossiers pertaining to a wide variety of special subjects and/or cases. The West India Local Archives comprise about 8066 bound volumes or packets, plus loose papers, running to 2228 linear shelf feet. Of this amount, an estimated 5200 bound volumes or packets, total- ing 1440 linear shelf feet, appear to be of suffi- cientvalue to warrant microfilming by the Virgin -20- Island Historical Record Program. However, an exact figure cannot be assigned until a more systematic survey of these records has been carried out. Such a survey would not only lead to the publication in English and Danish of a descriptive register to the co1lettion, but would also enable us to determine: 1) to what extent these records duplicate each other; 2) to what extent they duplicate the West Indian re- cords of the Danish central administration; 3) to what extent they duplicate the Danish West Indian records at the U.S. National Archives; and 4) their physical condition and legibility. The Danish Central Admin'istration Records In addition to the Local West India Archives, the Rigsarkivet holds the records of the several different administrative bodies in Copenhagen which held responsibility for governing the Danish West Indies during the years 1672-1917. During the period of Danish sovereignty (1672- 1917) several different administrative entities in Copenhagen governed the Danish West Indies. The first superintending authority was the Danish West - 21- India and Guinea Company, a joint-stock company chartered in 1670. "Empowered by the King of Denmark to officially manage all colonies it settled on his behalf in the Caribbean, the Company ruled over the islands between 1672 and 1754. 1 In 1754 the Danish central government assumed direct control over St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John. From that year until 1917 various departments within the Danishcehtra1 government were assigned primary responsibility for colonial administration. Initially the West Indies were placed under the direction of a special office, the Ve~~indi~~- guinei~h Ren.te~k.JtiveJtk.on~oJt , within the Department of Finance. The Ren~e~k..tU..veJt~ovLtoJt'~ jurisdiction lasted only six years, for in 1760 administrative responsibility for colonial affairs passed to a new- ly created General Finance and Customs Office (GeneJtai~oid~ammeJte~). Except for a short period of unsuccessful reorganization in 1771-1773, the West Indies remained under the direction of this office until 1848. With the advent of parliamentary rule in Den- mark in 1848 colonial administration was centralized 1For an account in English see Waldemar Westergaard, The Danish West Indies Under Company Rule 1671-1754 (1917). -22- and placed in the hands of a distinct Colonial Of- fi ce (Kola n.{.elLe.6Cen.tlLalb e.6.ty lLel.6 e ) established within the Department of Finance. This new office exercised control over the islands until they were ce de d to the Uni ted States in 1917. 1 After 1848 all correspondence and documents orl- ginating in the colonies went first to the Colonial Office, which then passed it on to the appropriate ministry within the Danish government. This proce- dure contrasted with pre~ious practice whereby col- onial officials often corresponded directly with re- levant governmental departments in Copenhagen. Thus, many pre-1848 documents relating to West Indian affairs are scattered throughriut the records of var- ious Danish departments; whereas after that date most, but not all, of the records, or copies there- of, are located in the records of the central Co1on- ial Office. The records relating to Danish colonial admin- istration betw~en 1672 and 1917 are organized into four main collections reflecting the administrative pattern outlined above: The Danish West India and and Guinea Company Records (1671-1754); the IAn excellent administrative history of the Colonial Office is printed in Danish at the beginning of Kaian.{.elLe.6Cen.tlLalbe.6.tylLel.6e (Rigsarkivet, Vej1edende Arkivregistraturer XX, 1975). - 2 3- 1760); theGene~al~old~amme~e~ records (1760-1848); and the Kolonie~e~ Cen~~albe~~y~el~e records (1848- 1917) . 1. The West India and Guinea Company Records The Company records, for which there is an excellent printed register,l contain records ori- ginating in Denmark and the West Indies which have been combined into one single collection. They include correspondence arid accounts con- cerning Company business in Denmark and Europe; correspondence between the Company directors and their officials in the West Indies; deliberations of the West Indian Privy Councils; West Indian subj ectdossiers; orders and instructions; West Indian memorials; annual journals of daily events in th~ West Indie~ wiitten by th~ governors; West Indian legal cases and documents; West Ind- ian accounts, journals and custom records; West Indian landlists, property inventories and es- tate evaluations. The Company records relating to the West Indies comprise 879 bound volumes or packets lJ.O. Bro-J¢rgensen and Og M. Rasch, A-6ia~i~~e ve~~indi-6~e E.il. [Juinei.6 ~e handel.6 ~o mpag nie.~ (Rigsarki vet VeJ Ie dende Arkl v- reglstraturer XIV, 1974), pp. 159-257. -24- runnlng to 198 linear shelf feet. Of this amount, 524 bound volumes or packets, totaling about 118 linear shelf feet, can be assigned highest prior- ity for microfilming. 2. The Records 0 f the Ve.6-t-i.I1k.-i..6"f,-- 9 u.-i.l1e-i..6 k. "R el1-t e.6 k.Jt-i. v eJik. 0 11"-tO Jt, the Gel1eJtai-toldk. animeJte-t and the Koiol1-i.eJte.6 Cel1-tJr.albe.6-ttjJtei.6 e The records of each of these three depart- ments contain esseritially the same type of mat- erial, e.g., outgoing orders, resolutions, de- crees, instructions and letters to West Indian governors and officials; incoming correspondence and documents from West Indian officials; pro-" tocol books, j ournals, re gis t ers, indexes, copy- brioks and drafts for the above incoming and out- going corres"pondence; various West Indian sub- ject dossie~s; West Indian laws; West Indian accounts; West Indian memorials; reports from various Commissions on West Indian affairs; West Indian military affairs and accounts. In addition the Gel1eJtai-toidk.ammeJtet records contain con~ide~able ~aterial relating specific- ally to th~ abolition of the slave trade and slave emancipation in th~ West Indies, as well as sev- eral volumes dealing with the British occupations -25- of 1801-1802 and 1807-1815. In the Koloniene~ Cen.:tnalb ~.:tynel~ e records can be found vol urnes pertaining to local organizations and offices, such as the Brand Corps, the Gendarmes, the telegraph and post offices, the land and build- ing surveyors, ln addition to information about Danish efforts to sell th~ islands. The Ve~.:tinQihQ-guinie~Q Ren.:te~QnivenQon.:ton records, for which there is a useful register, 1 comprise 69 bound volumes or packets, running to 20 linear shel f feet. Of this amount, 33 bound volumes or packets, totaling about 10 linear shelf feet, can be assigned highest priority for micro- filming. TheG~nenal.:toLdQammene.:t records are the only group of West Indian records wi thin the Danish Ceritral Administration Retords that have not been systematically registered, although a superfic- ial, out of date register has been printed. 2 1 Jens Holmgaard, Ren.:teQa.mmene.:t I (Rigsarkivet Vejledende Arkivregistraturer XII, 1969), pp. 93-5. 2J . Block, Ren.:teQammene.:t, Genenal.:toldQammene.:t og KommenQeQollegie.:t 1660-1848 (Rigsarkivet Vejledende Arkivregistraturer II, 1892), pp. 293-99. -26- This collection requires the preparation of an updated register before it can be properly uti- lized by reseirchers, or its contents and size can be ~ccurately determined. Together with the We~t India records of the Van~~ Kammen, which briefly administered the colonies during 1771- 177 3~ the Genena.Ltol d~ammene.t records comprise approximately 700 bound volumes or packets, run- ning to abriut 280 linear shelf feet. Of this amount, a total of about 600 bound vol urnes or packets, totaling about 240 linear shelf feet, can be assigned highest priority for microfilm- ing. The Kola n,[ene.6 Cen.tnalb e.6.tljneU e records, for which an excellent register has been printed,2 comprise 1444 volumes .or packets, running to 323 linear shelf feet. Of this amount, 1312 bound volumes or packets, totalling about 288 linear shelf feet can be assigned highest priority for microfilming. 1Jens Holmgaard, Ren.te~ammene.:.t I (Rigsarki vet Vej ledende Arkivregistraturer XII, 1969), p. 97. 2 Kola n,[ekne.6 Cen.tna.Lb e.6.tljnel.6 e (Rigsarki vet Vej ledende Arkiveregistraturer XX, 1975). - 2 7- Miscellaneous West Indian Records at the Rigsarkivet Besides the Local West Indian Archives and the records of the Danish central aiministration there are several other collections of West Indian records at the Rigsarkivet. These records are here subsumed and described under the heading of !!Mis- cellaneous West Indian Records!!. 1. The West India Revised Accounts Between 1755 and 1917 the financial accounts of most Danish administrative offices in the West Indies were sent home to be reviewed and audited. Copies of these accounts were made and kept in Denmark (these are the West India Re- vised Accounts) and the originals were returned to the islands. Thus, material in the Revised Accounts duplicates that found in the West India Local Archives. The duplication, however, is not always exact, as the Revised Accounts often synthesized and/or summarized the most pertin- ent information in the original records. Never- theless, although the Revised Accounts are not always as detailed as the originals, they are in much better condition, and are sometimes more complete. Moreover, there are some accounts in the Revised Accounts which are not duplicated in the Local Archives. And included among the -28- Revised Accounts are letters and reports explain- ing alterations in fe~ or tax sch~dules, collect- ion methods, and other annual changes. For these reasons the Revised Accounts should be assigned high priority for microfilming. Included in the Revised Accounts are the accounts of the state bookkeepers in St. Croix and St. Thomas (479 volumes); St. Thomas and St. Croix Casebooks (444 volumes); Upper Guard- ian accounts; St. ThOmas, St. Johh and St. Croix matriculs or tax lists (300 volumes or packets); !.i% tax accounts (97 volumes); magistrate office fee books (159 volumes) and accounts (30 volumes); landkasse 'accounts (16 volumes); church accounts (18 volumes'); weigh and post office accounts (139 volumes'); military, accounts (75 volumes'); custom accounts (130 volumes); harbor master and pilot accounts (18 volumes); state plantation accounts (30 volumes'); auction protocols (25 volumes); miscellaneous papers (41 volumes). The Revised Accounts, for which there is a superficial shelflist,l comprise 2095 bound -29- volumes, running to about 475 linear shelf feet. Of this amount an estimated 1000 bound volumes, running to about 235 linear shelf feet, would appear to be of sufficient importance to war- rant microfilming. However, an exact figure can- not be assigned until the contents of this col- lection can be compared more closely with the contents and condition of the original material in the West India Local Archives. 2. The West India Debt LiquidationCorrimission Records 1786-1875 Between 1768 and 1785 the planters in the Danish West Indies borrowed heavily from Dutch creditors to finance the development of their 1 . dh ... f 1 1 P antatlons an t e acqulsltlon 0 saves. In 1786, with the debt amounting to nearly ten mil- lion rigsdalers, the Danish government took over the debt from the Dutch creditors and established a commission in the islands to oversee its col- lection. The records of this commission contain valuable information about the economic history of nearly every plantation in the Danish West Indies, and for this reason should be microfilmed. lSome records relating to these Dutch loans and their collect- ion by local agents are in the West India Local Archives. - 30- The Debt Commission records, for which ade- 1 quate descriptive registers have been printed, comprise 328 bound volumes or packets, running to about 53 linear shelf feet. Of this amount, 261 bound volumes, running to about 42 linear shelf feet, can be assigned high priority for mic rofilming. 3. The West India Censuses 1841-1911 Detailed censuses were taken in the Danish West Indies in 1841, 1846, 1850, 1855, 1857, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1901, and 1911. These records,containing incredibly rich demographic and cultural information about the islands and their people ,comprise 67 packets and run to about 20 linear shelf feet. They all have been microfilmed, and copies should be obtained by the V.I. Historical Records Program. 4. West India Trading Company Records 1778-1824 In May 1778 a private trading company, hav- lng the Danish King and many governmental offic- ials as stockholders, was established in Denmark for the purpose of taking advantage of Denmark's neutral position during the War of American 1 J. B 1 0 c k ,F .-lnan.6 aflJl"ive.Jtn e. 166 0 - 1 848 • Ge.ne.Jtalp 0.6;t d.-lJte.k.;t.-l 0 ne. n.6 AJtk."iv ·1711- 1848 (Ri gsarki vet Ve j 1 edende Arki vre gist ra turer I I I, 1900), pp. 95-8, 171-72. - 31- 1 Independence. Headquartered in Copenhagen, the Company had a branch office in St. Thomas to handle its West Indian business. During the nearly half century of its existence the Company assumed responsibility for carrying on a significant proportion of the trade between the islands and Denmark, and its records there- fore provide important information about the mercantile life of the Danish islands during the most prosperous period of their history. However, inasmuch as the Trading Company records are more appropriately considered private rather than state records, relating more to overall Danish commercial enterprise in the Caribbean than specifically to the Danish West Indies, they should not be considered as having high priority for microfilming at this time. The West India Trading Company records, for which there is an excellent printed regist- 2 er, comprise 531 bound volumes or packets, running to 76 linear shelf feet. Of this amount, about 157 bound volumes, totaling about 23 linear shelf feet should eventually b~ microfilmed. 1For a history of this Company see P.P. Sveistrup, "Det Kongelige Danske Octroyered Vestindiske Handelsselskab 1778-1785," Hi.6tonL6k. Tidd6k.nifit, VI (4 Heffe, 1943), pp. 385-427. 2J .0. Bro-J¢rgensen and Og. AA. Rasch, A.6ia.ti.6k.e., ve..6til1di.6k.e. og gu.i..I1e.L6k.e. ha.l1de.,t.6k.ompa.gl1ie.n (Rigsarkivet Vejledende Arkivreg- lStraturer XIV, 1969), pp. 299-331. - 32- 5. Records in Danish State Offices In this category are records pertaining to the West Indies that are scattered throughout the archives of various Danish governmental of- fices. For example, in the archives of the Min- istry of Foreign Affairs material on the acqui- sition of St. Croix from the French and on the British occupations of 1801-1802 and 1807-1815 is included in those papers dealing with Denmark's diplomatic relations with France and England respectively. There are also records concerning Danish negotiations to sell the islands in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Included in the Danish Chancery Archives are various West Indian files (1671-1771, 1773- 1799, 1817-1848), West Indian testaments and commissions (1699-1771, 1773-1799, 1802-1807, 1817-1848), 1etterbooks on West Indian affairs (1815-1848), representations and inter-depart- mental letters and papers, and accounts on the royal plantations in St. Croix in the 1730's. Records concerning Danish West Indian com- merce during the 1760's and 1770's, plus repre- sentations on West Indian matters (1784-1815) -33- are included in the Finance Ministry Archives. West Indian material can also be found in the archives of the Danish Army and Navy. A more systematic search is required before the extent of these scattered West Indian re- cords can be accurately assessed, and a deter- mination made as to how far they duplicate re- cords in the more specific West Indian collect- ions. Some of these records (a rough estimate would be around 250 bound volumes) should pro- bably be microfilmed. 6. Maps and Prints The Rigsarkivet holds a substantial collect- ion of original maps and prints on the Danish West Indies. These important graphics have not been systematically registered. A comprehensive descriptive register should be made, and all I the material photographed. Because of the great benefits that would derive from direct access to the originals, discussions pursuant to their transfer to the islands should be open- ed with the Rigsarkivet. lThe u.S. National Park Service in the Virgin Islands has had some of these graphics copied. - 34- TABLE I: SUMMARY OF RECORDS IN THE RIGSARKIVET Name of Collection West India Local Archives 1755-1917 Danish West India and Guinea Company 1670-1754 Rentekammeret 1755-1760 Generalto1dkammeret (include~ Dansk Kammer) 1760:"1848 Kolonieres Central- bestyrelse 1848-1917 West India Revised Accounts 1755-1917 West India Debt Liquidation Com~ission 1786-1875 West Indian Censuses 1841-1911 Records in Various Danish State Offices TOTALS: Total No. of Items 8066 approx. 879 69 700 approx. 1444 2095 328 67 "7" 13648 approx. Items to be Microcopied 5200 approx. 524 33 600 approx. 1312 approx. 1000 approx. 261 67 "2S0" 9247 approx. - 35- 7. Private Archivei The Rigsarkivet houses se~eral collections of private manuscripts which touch directly on West Indian affairs. Among the most important of these collections are: theSchimmelmann Family Papers, which contain vital information about the abolition of the Danish slave trade, as well as about the family plantations on St. Croix; the Papers of Gabriel Milan, which con- tain papers and correspondence relating to his governorship of St. Thomas 1684-1686; the Papers of o. Rubner-Petersen, Director of the Chris- tiansted schools, which touch on the educational system of the islands, the general strike of 1916 and other local matters; the Papers of Philip Peder Rosenstand, which include letters and pap- ers pertaining to the labor insurrection on St. Croix in 1878. Other relevant private papers include: the Louis Rothe Papers; the Johan Friedrich Heinrich Papers; the Hans Henrik Berg Papers; the Niels Falck GI¢ersent Papers; the Michael Liebenberg Papers; the William Schwartzkopff Papers; the Christian Albrecht Neve Papers , the Niels Knudsen Papers; the - 36- \ Frederik E. Elbering Paper's; the Svend R. Haagensen Diary; the Johannes W. Mouritzen Papers. A general registe~ to the Private Archives has been published,l but it only lists the col- lect ions alphabetically and not by sub j ect. A systematic search of the "unpublished registers for eachpri vate collection would undoubtedly disclose additional West Indian related manu~ scripts. Since these are ~rivate ~s opposed to state papers, microfilming is not contemplated at this time. However, like the records of the We st India Trading Comp any, they should be filmed ata later date. 8. Other Danish Repositories Althriughthe ~cope of this report extends only to the Danish West India re~ords located at the Rigsarkivet in Copenhagen, it should be not- ed that West Indian material can also be found at other Danish repositories. For example, re- cords relating to the Lutheran Chtirch in the is- lands aredepos i ted in the Landsarki vet for the island of Zeeland, which is also in Copenhagen. lOVe.Migh..t 0 ve.Jt PJtiva.te. re.M 0 naJtk.ive.Jt I, CRigsarki vet Foreh¢bige Arkivregistraturer, Ny Serie, Nr. 3, 1969). ,-- - 37- The Royal Library in Copenhagen has some pri va te papers relating to th~ West Indies; while the Copenhagen University Library possesses many old West Indian newspapers :(mostof which have been microfilmed by the St. ThOmas Public Lib- rary). Some of the material now" in the West Indian Local Archives at the Rigsarkivet came via the provincial archives,and th~re is a dis- tinct possibility that additional records, both official and public, are deposited in archives outs i de 0 f Copenhagen. Danish West Indian Records at the U.S. National Archives The Danish West Indian records at the U.S. Nation- al Archives (which form part of Record Group #55) were formerly part of the West Indian government records loc- ated in the islands. 1 Left behind by the Danes, they were collected and transferred to the National Archives 1These records are briefly described in George S. Ulibarri and John P. Harrison, Guide to Materials on Latin America in the Nat- ional Archives of the UnITed States (I974) ,pp. 404-5 ana Harorcr- Larson, "The DamsIlWest Indies Records in the U.S. National Ar- chives, "Studies in Virgin Islands Librarianship, No. 12 (1976). - 38- in 1937 by Dr. Harold Larsen and a local staff. Like the mateiial at the Rigsarkivet, most of these records are in Danish and written in the gothic script. How- ever, a surprising volume of documents, notably the Colonial or Burgher Council proceedings, the papers of the various municipal committees and commissions and the Debt Liquidation Commission, are in English. Although many of the records are bidly deteriorated, ln most cases their decomposition has been arrested by preserva- tion processes employed by the National Archives. These records, which comprise 2483 boxes or bound volumes, running to 928 linear shelf feet, are similar in arrangement and content to thrise of the West India Local Archives at the Rigsarkivet. Th~y include incom- ing and outgoing letters, with documents, of the Govern- or General's and Vice-Governor's office~; legislative records and proceedings (inc1udin~ proceedings in Eng- lish dating as far back as 1767); judicial and police records; records of the upper guardians; probate records; colonial accounts; matricu1s; economic and social statis- tics (including the 1890 census, most of which is miss- ing from the Rigsarkivet); military records; municipal records; custom house records; records of the Debt Liquid- ation Commission; records of various local commissions - 39- and committees concerned with education, hospitals, poor relief, fire protection, sanitation, roads, build- ing construction and surveys, and taxes, as well as investigations into the insurrections of 1848 and 1878. In addition, there is also a large collection of material (running to 165 linear shelf feet) containing West Indian newspapers dating from the nineteenth cen- tury and the papers of the "Law Library of the Virgin Is lands", cons ist ing 0 f 93 boxes 0 f Danish laws, decrees and other legal documents dating from 1660. For the most part the Danish records at the U.S. National Archives complement those in the West India. Local Archives (to which they originally belonged) at the Rigsarkivet. However, an accurate comparison of the West Indian records at the National Archives with those at the Rigsarkivet will have to await the compil- ation of more accurate surveys and registers for the two collections. Although an adequate tool for most researchers, the present shelflist for the records at the National Archives is often inaccurate and fails to provide sufficiently detailed information about all of ·1 the material in the collection. From our preliminary l"Records of the Danish Government of the Virgin Islands 1672- 1917," (1961), which was compiled by H. Donn Hooker and his wife. For a more detailed critique of this shelflist see p.43 below. -40- survey, however, it is clear that a significant percent- age of the records at the National Archives is not dup- licated at the Rigsarkivet. A rough estimate is that between 50-60% of these records are unduplicated else- where, 25-30% are duplicated at the Rigsarkivet, with the remainder being uncertain. Generally speaking, much of the material dating from 1865 to 1917 in the National Archives appears to be unique. Records at the National Archives apparently not duplicated in Denmark include: journals and regist- ers to incoming and outgoing correspondence of the Gov- ernor General's office; incoming letters (many ln English) from island residents to local colonial officials or agencies; many of the subject dossiers (~age~l, which the National Archives' shelflist mislabels as "miscell- aneous"; most of the papers, accounts and correspondence of the Burgher or municipal councils and their various committees and commissions; many of the Colonial Counc- il proceedings; many of the records relating to the is- land of St. John. - 41- Finding Aids to Danish West Indian Records With the notable eiception of th~ West India Local Archives, all of thi major We~t Indian collettions at the Rigsarkivet arede~cribed in printed registers which give the volume number, title and dates. The registers are keyed to a general register which shOws shelf loc- ation. A very general sh~lf1ist for thi West Indi~ Local Archives and the West India Revised Accounts is printed in R...Lg.6 aJtk....Lve.t Abde.i...Lng Ge.ne.JtalJte.g...L.6tJtatu.Jte.Jt (K¢benhavn, 1974). A more systematic descriptive re- gister to this material is imperative. The West India and Guinea Company Records (1671- 1754), together with the West India Trading Company Records (1778-1&24) are registered in J.~. Bro-J¢rgensen and Og. AA. Rasch, A.6iat...L.6k.e., ve..6tindi.6·k.e. ~ gu.ine....L.6k.e. hande.l.6 k.ompagni·e.Jt (Rigsarki vet Vej ledende Arki vregistra- turer XIV, K¢benhavn, 1969). The re co rds 0 f the V e..6 tin di.6 k. 9 u.ine.i.6k. e. Re.nte..6 k.Jti v- e.Jtk.o ntoJt( 17 54-17 73) areadeq'ua tely registered in J ens Ho1mgaard, Re.nte.k.amme.lte..t. I (Rigsarkivet Vejledende Ark- ivregistraturer XII, K¢benhavn, 1969), pp. 93-5, 97, 99. The records of th~ Koionie.Jtne..6 Ce.ntJtal6e..6.t.yJte.-U e. -42- (1848-1875) are e xce1len tly re gis tered in KoLo nieJLne.6 Cen".t'ttd£:b"e.o.ty'ttel.6 e (Rigsarki vet Vej ledende Arki vregistra- turer XX, K¢benhavn, 1975). The West India Debt Liquidation Commission records (1786-1875) are adequately registeied in J. Block, Finan.6d~~lveJLne 1~60-184&. 1711-1&4& (Rigsarkivet Vejledende Arkivregistraturer III, K¢benhavn, 1900), pp. 95-8, 171-2. The holdings uf the Private Archives are listed alphabetically by name of collection in OveJL.6lgh;t oueJL rJLiva.te reM 0 naf1.k.luef1. I (Ri gs a rki vet Foreh¢b ige Arki v- registraturer, Ny Serie, Nr. 3, K¢benhavn, 1969), which in turn refers the reader to a more detailed inventory to each collection In the Catalog Room. In addition to the published registers, the Rigsar- kivet has other finding aids which are located in the Catalog Room off the main reiding room, speci£ically: cat a log d rawer # 8 7, en tit 1 e d II Ve.6 ;ti n dl.6 k. 0 9 9 III n ei.6 k. e f1.egn.6 k.abef1., II which contains detailed register cards to some of the material in the West India Revised Accounts; catalog drawer #96, which contains detailed register cards to a small part of th~ West India_ Local Archives; three unlabeled drawers containing names of persons - 43- (arranged alphabetically) ln St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John appearing in various kirids of probate documents found in the West India: Local Archives; two drawers, en tit 1 e d "Ve.6 ti 11 di.6 k V f1.e.6.6 el 09 P e M 0 l1alhi.6 to f1.ik Samlil1 9 " , which contains an alphabetical listing of persons, primarily colonial officials on St. Croix, whose names appear in various legal documents in the West India Local Archives. For the Danish West Indian Goverriment records at the U.S. National Archivei th~ only finding aid is a shelflist entitled "Records of the Danish Government of the Virgin Islands 1672-1917" (prepared by H. Donn Hooker in 1961), which is available on request at the search room of the Natural Resources Branch of the Civil Arch- lves Division or ln the Central Search Room at the Nat- ional Archives. It showsth~title , dates, number and footage of the bound volumes and boxes, together with the row and section wheiethei are located. A useful index has recently been added to the shelflist. Although the shelflist is probably an adequate guide to the records for most resea'rchers, it nevertheless has a number of drawbacks which limit its usefulness. To be specific, dates are sometimes inaccurately stated and gaps are not noted; box or volume numbers are some- times inaccurate or not given; English translations are not always provided; some of the "recordsci ted appeared -44- to be missing or misfiled; large groups of records (for example boxes 157- 347) are not described in detail ; titles are not always specific (for example, it is seldom spec- ified whether correspondence is incoming or outgoing); there are many spelling or typographical errors. The "Introduction" notes "that the identification of records, series as well as individual items, is tentative and not final," and primarily for this reason the National Archives does not permit th~copying or external circul- ation of the shelflist. The shelflist defihitely needs to be revised and updated to make it more accurate and detailed and,there- fore more serviceable to serious researchers. , State Records of the Virgin Islands in European Repositories The national repositories of Spain, Holland, England and France house many valuable "documents relating to the pre-19l7 history of the Virgin Islands. AlthOugh the volume -45- - : of this material is small in comparison to that of the Dan- ish records, the documents hive a special importance in that they illuminate the years between 1493 and 1734 when all of the above nations eith~r controlled or laid claim to the Virgin Islands. To date no comprehensive survey or inventory has been made for this Virgin Island manuscript mateiial. Moreover, there are few specific refei~rice~ to it in rele~ant biblio~ graphical guides to Ameiican manuscripts in European Archives, most of which were compiled before the United States took possession of the islands. 1 The location, arrange~ent and conterit of these records in the respective archive~ is largely determined by the de- gree and nature of control exeicised by the riation in ques- tion. Thus, Spain, which made no serious effort to colonize 1The following guides make little or no mention of material relating to the Virgin Islands: William R. Shepherd, Guide to Materials for the History of the United States in Spanish Arch- ives (1907); Carl Russell Fish, Guide to the Materials for Amer- rcan History in Roman and Other Italian Archives (1911); Marion D. Learned, Guide to the Manuscript Materials relating to Amer- ican History in the German State Archives (1912); Charles M. Andrews, Guide to the Materials for American Histor , to 1783, in the Pu lic Record Of ice of Great BrItain, 2 vols. 1912-1914); Charles o. Paullin and Frederick L. Paxson, Guide to the Mater- ials in London Archives for the History of the United States Since 1783 (1914); B.R. Crick and Miriam Alman, A Guide to Man- uscripts Relating to America in Great Britain and Ireland (1961). -46- the islands, possesses no distinct collection of Virgin Islands records. Rather, relevant documerits are ·scattered throughout various record groups in the Archives of the Indies at Seville and, to a far lessei- extent, other Span- ish archives. l Wh~n located, these manuscripts should pro- vide considerable information about Ameiindian inhibitants, about Spanish colonial policy and activities in the islands and about early European settle~ents which the Spanish en- deavored to suppress. In the cases of Holland and Great Britain documerits pertaining to the Virgin Islands will also be found inter- spersed with other state papers rathei than forming dis- crete collections. TheDutchre~ords will shed light on the unsuccessful efforts of Hollanders to colonize St. Croix and St. Thomas in th~ sevente~nth ceritury. Most of th~ relevant documents in Holland will be found in the records 1Por documents pertaining to the Virgin Islands in Spanish Archives see Lino G. Conedo, Lo~ A~Qhivo~ de £a hi~to~ia de Ame~iQa: Pe~iodo Qo£on.ia£ e~pai1O£, 2 vols.--rI"9(1); F.M. Padron, "Archival Material on the Lesser Antilles located in the Arch- i ves of the Indies, Seville (Spain)," in Report of the Caribbean Archives Conference (1965), pp. 131-52; Guia de ruenIe~ Pa~a fa Hl~to~a de Ibe~o-Ame~Qa Con.~e~vado en. E.6pan.~2 vols. (1969)-.- 1--- - 47- of the First and Second Dutch West Indian Companies, 1621- 1791 and other official government collections which are in the General State Archives at the Hague. Additional records are deposited at the Town Archives of Amsterdam, including correspondence from the preachers Fortius Verburghand Jacob van Calverlagen on the island of St. John, 1748-49, 1751, and the Heylinger Family papers from St. Croix dating from the 1760's and 1770's. Rele~ant sevente~nth and eighteenth century material can also be found at the Netherlands Econ- omic History Archives in the Hague. 1 In Great Britain, documents concerning British settle- ments and interests in St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John, Anglo-Danish relations during the many colonial wars of the seventeenth and eighteerith cerituries, and affairs generally in the Danish West Indies are ·scattered throughout the Col- onial Office papers, particularly the C.O. 152 series (Lee- ward Islands) and the Admiralty papers, which are in the lThe West Indian records in Holland are surveyed in several excellent publications: M.A.P. Meilink-Roelofsz, "A Survey of the Archives in the Netherlands pertaining to the History of the Netherlands Antilles,Ve. We..o;t-IncLt.6c..he. G..Ld.6, vol. 35 (1955), pp. 1- 38; Johanna F. Kraal-, -"Libraries and Archives for Res earch in West Indian History, .. '.' Ve. We..6;t-Ind.-l.6c..he. G..Ld.6, Vol. 37 (1957); M.P.H. Roessingh, Guide to the Solirces iri~ Netherlands for the History of LatiriArrieYI61"T1968); Margaretha E. van Opstall, "Archival Resources in the Netherlands," in Comparative.Pers1iect- ives on Slavery in New Worl.d Societies, ed. by Vera Rubln an Arthur Tuden (Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Vol. 292, 1977), pp. 501-09. -48- London Public Records Office. Discrete collections concern- ing the British conquests and occupation of the Danish West Indies (1801-1802, 1807-1815) can be found in C.O. 244 (St. Croix 1808-1815, 10 volumes, C.O. 259 (St. Thomas, 1808-1815, 6 volumes), as well as several volumes in the C.O. 318 series, the War Office papers and the Admiralty papers. Additional documents can be found ln the private papers of various British statesmen, military officers and plantation owners involved in West Indian affairs. 1 Records bearing on various French settlements on St. Croix between 1640 and 1734 can be found in discrete collect- tions or interspersed among different records groups, such 1Finding aids which identify some of the documents relating to the Virgin Islands at the Public Records Office in London and other British repositories are: H.C. Bell, D.W. Parker, et. al., Guide to British West Indian Archive Materials in London-- and the Islands for the-Blstory of the United States-r1926) ; Penny Payne, "A Survey of Manuscnpt Materials relating to the British Occupations of the Danish West Indies 1801-1815," (Island Resources Foundation Mss. 1972); Peter Walne, A Guide to Manu- script Sources for the History of Latin America and the-Caribbean in the British ISIes-T1973); George F. Tyson, Jr~n~arolyn Tyson, Preliminary Report on Manuscript Materials in British Archives Relating to the American Revolution in the-West Indian Islands (1974). Tile calendar of State Papers-,-COIOnrar-Series, America and the West Indies, provides a valuable index to Col- onial OffICe documents from the years 1661-1741 which pertain to St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. 1 -49- as those on St. Kitts or Guadeloupe, which are located in the Archives Nationales, The Archives des Affaires Etrang'eres, the Archives de la Marine and the Bibliotheque Nationale in P . 1 arlS. Microfilms A small percentage of the West Indian records at the Rigsarkivet and the U.S. National Archivei h~s been micro- f i 1 me d to da t e . At the Rigsarkivet some 262 film reels of West Indian documents have been made. Much of this filming has been done by t Rigsarki vet for the Mormon Church in Sal tLakeCi ty. Some films For documents in French archives relating to the Virgin Islands see Jacques de Dampierre, E.6.6a.-i.. .6 un. le..6 Soun.c.e..6 de. l'h.-i...6to.-i..n.e. de..6 AntLf..le..6 bn.ansa.-i...6e.6 , 1492-1662(1904); Wa1doG. Leland, et. al., Guide to Materials for American Historv in the Libraries and Archives of Paris, -2-vo1s. (1932, 1943);Lowell J. Ragat~"Early French West Indian Records in the Archives Nationa1es," Inter- American Bibliographical Review, Vol. I, No.3 (1941), pp. 1-35; Etienne Tai11emite, "The Early Records of the French Colonies in the French National Archives," in Report of .the Caribbean Archives Conference (1965), pp. 422-44; Andre Chapman~Eng1ish Re~ume of Documents relating to St. Croix in Archives des Affaires Etrangeres,' (St. Croix Landmarks Society Mss., n.d.); M~deline Astorquia, et. al., Gu.-i..de. de.6 .6oun.c.e..6 de l'h.-i...6to.-i..n.e de.6 Etat.6-Un.-i...6 dan.6 le..6 OJic.h.-i..ve.6 6n.a~.-i...6 e.6 (1970}". -- -- -50- from various central administrative offices in Denmark, such as the Danish Chancery, the Board of Finance and the Gene~al­ told"-amme~et, have been made for the "Security" program. 1 Nineteen reels of materials from the Danish West India, Com- pany records were made for the U.S. National Archives. Another forty-five reels of mortgage registers, passport lists, burgher oaths and arriving and dep'arting persons, all taken from the records of the West India Local Archives, were made for the government of the Virgin Islands. These microfilms have bee~ made haphazardly over a long period of years. They have not been systematically regis- tered,2 and the quality of reproduction 1S sometimes very poor. Nevertheless, some of these films, such as those of the West Indian censuses between 1841 and 1911,' might be incorporated directly into the proposed microfilm collection of the V.I. Historical Records Program after first b~ing carefully review- ed, and appropriate regist~rs pre~ared. IThe "Security" program was established by the Danish govern- ment in the 1940's to microfilm all official records in the state archives. 2Microfi1ms of Danish West Indian archival material held by the St. Thomas Public Library in St. Thomas are itemized in Catalog of Microfilms available in the Von Scholten "Collection of the St. Thomas Public Library, (3rd-:-edition, St. Thomas, 1970)-.- "fJi"e U.S. National Archives has made twenty-two microfilm reels of the cus- tom journals from its Danish West Indian Government records. In addition, microfilms are available for some documents relating to St. Croix at the Archives Nationa1es in Paris. The Danish West Indian records at the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley have also been microfilmed. -51- It should also be noted that the government of Ghana is currently having some records of the Danish West India and Guinea Company filmed by the Rigsarki vet. The filming isselecti ve, primarily confined to records relating to Dan- ish settlements on the African coast. However, some mater- ial concerning the slave trade to the West Indies, and the West Indiansettlerrierits will probably be filmed. As the film- ing has just coinmericed, and the selection of records still underway, it is not possible to specify at this time what records will in fact be copied. The Rigsarkivet has agreed to provide a complete list once theselec"tion process is fin- ished. Mr. Confidence Gadzekpo , the" Ghanian archivist re- sponsible for selecting the records to be filmed, is also preparing a descriptiveregiste~ for the films. The films which touch directly on the slavetr.ade and the West Indies probably could be incorporated into the proposed Virgin Is- lands microfilm collection. And, because of the intimate economic and cultural linkages between the islands and Africa, it would be desirable for the V.I. Historical Records Program to obtain copies of all the films made by the government of Ghana. -52- ... :. --'. SECTION II: PLAN FOR A VIRGIN ISLANDS HISTORICAL RECORDS PRO RAM - 5 3- ... : Program Components: An Overview A plan for a coordinated, comprehensive Virgin Islands Historical RetordsProgr~m Chereifte~ VIHRP) is set forth in the following pages. The proposed Program would encom- pass the surveying and photoduplication of most historical documents relating to the history of the Virgin Islands which are currently located in European and American repos- itories, as well as the development of a selective transla- tion and publication component based in the Virgin Islands and staffed by qualified translators and professional hist- orians. The VIHRP would initially concentrate on records which pre-date the transfer of the islands to the United States in 1917. While the post-1917 records are certainly of equal importance, they are nevertheless concentrated in a few repositories in the continental United States, are reason- ably well surveyed in English1 and the originals, or copies thereof, are readily available and unders tandab Ie to local and national scholars and residents. Because the pre-1917 records are widely dispersed in overseas repositories, are recorded in foreign languages, are poorly surveyed, and are 1Mos t of these records are at th~ U.S. National Archives .. See H. Donn Hooker, Preliminary lnventory of the Records of the Govexn- ment of the Virgin: Islands of 'theUmtecr-States(1960rand George s:-Dlibarri and John P . Harrison, Guide to· Ma terial.s on Latin America ln the National Archi¥es of ~he united States-r1974J. -54- consequently relatively inaccessible, they pose a special set of problems, the solution of whichre-ouires considerahle plan- ing, coordination, skills and high initial costs. Ultimat- ely, a comprehensive VIHRP will incorporate all historical records within its purview. However, at its inception it should address itself to the myriad difficulties posed by the pre-19l7 records. In general terms, the following critical components are essential to a comprehensive VIHRP: Archival Surveys As noted in Section ~ official and private ~apeis relating to the pre-19l7 history of th~ Virgin Islands are widely dispersed in European and Ameiican archives. Currently very little is knowh about th~location, scope or content of these records. This lack of knowledge is one reason why so little scholarly inteie~tin, or research on, V.I. history his been manifested on this . side of the Atlantic. The first priority of th~ VIHRP is to conduct surveys thit will locate, inventory, de- scribe and prepare for publication in English detailed bibliographical guide~ to th~se scatteied historical manuscripts. The purpose of such surveys would bethiee- fbld: 1) to identify and accurately describe relevant -55- . , historical re~brds; 2) to provide for the first time in English essential finding aids to these largely unknown historical records.; 3) to facilitate the overall devel- opment of the VIHRP and to define its programatic needs more accurately. Priority should be given to preparing finding aids as necessary (or translating existing finding aids into English), to state papers in the Rigsarkivet, the U.S. National Archives and the national archives of Spain, France, Holland and England. Surveys of pre~19l7 manuscripts in private collect- ions and church records in U.S. and European repositor- ies should be undertaken at a later time, and, where ap- propriate, finding aids prepared. These collections, such as the Markoe Family Papers atth~ Historical Soc- iety of Pennsylvania ,or the re~ords of the Moravian Church in East Germany and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, are of considerable significance for our understanding of local social, economic, political and cultural history. Surveys of both official and pri vatemanuscripts loc at- ed in the Virgin Islands should also be undertaken, inventories prepared and appropriate findings aids printed. -56- Microfilming and Photocopying Currently, microfilming or oth~r forms uf phrito- duplication constitute the most feasible method of insur- ing Virgin Islanders and national schol~rsincreased access to the far-flung historical records of the Virgin Islands. While there is a possibility that some of the records at the Rigsarkivet and the U.S. National Archives might someday be transfeired to th~islands if a proper archival facility were available to house them, both Dr . Hvidfeldt of the Rigsarkivet and Dr. Rhriads of the U.S. National Archives insist that suchtransfeial cannot take place until the records in their archives have first been microcopied. Microfilming is therefore an impera- tive first step ln making the historical records more accessible. It also serves to prese~ve dil~pidated re- cords, and microfilm requires a smaller, less controlled storage area than do original manuscripts. ical The value of microfilming as a means of making histor- documents more available to Caribbean peoples and scholars was clearly ackriow1edged bi ih~ particiRants at the First Caribbean Archives Conference held in 1965, who strongly recommended: 1 ]Report of the Caribbean Archives Conference (1965), p. 67. -57- That, where feasible, some effort should in future be directed to the reproduction, for local use, of Caribbean archival material in overseas repositories and that funds should be sought by governments 't--o carry out this work in co-opeiation with each other and with interested institutions. The major record collections relating to the Vir- gin Islands before 1917 should b~ microfilmed, with at least one copy of each roll being deposited in the Vir- gin Islands. Detailed roll des~riptions should be pre- pared in English, and guides prepared and printed to the microfilm collection as a whole. Priority should be given to microfilming the most significant West Indian records at the Rigsarkivet, since they constitute the largest and most important collect- lone Danish West Indian retords at the U.S. National Archives which do not duplicate those in Denmark, or which are in better condition than duplicates in Denmark should also be filmed. Relevant documents identified by the surveys of the state archives of Spain, France, Holland and England shOuld ei ther be microfilmed or photocopied, whichevei is most feasible and leist ex- pensive. At a later date microfilms or photocopies should be made of relevant documen·ts in pri vateco11ections and church archives in European and Amer·ican reposi tor- ies. -58- Translation Most of the pre-1917 historical records are recorded ln languages other than English, a fact which compounds the problem of accessibility. From the outset the VIHRP should contain a built-in language training and trans- lation component involving Virgin Islanders who would become the nucleus of a permanent program staff. Unless the VIHRP can assure itself of a cadre of competent tran:;- lators, the copies of historic documents will be of lit- tle practical use locally. Accordingly, translator~trainees" must b~ selected who have a demonstrated ability in one or more foreign languages, as well asa good background and interest in local history and culture. Once designated they would receive a special course of instruction in Denmark in the Danish language, the TIanish "gothic script, as well as in Virgin Islands and Danish history, photoduplication techniques and archival practices. Classroom work w6uld be supplemented by on-the-job training, so that language and other skills could be sharpened and focused. The trainees would b~ actively involved in microfilming and registering the records at th~ Rigsarkivet, and after completing their assignment in Denmark, th~y would re- turn to the Virgin Islands to continue their work as translators and research~is withth~ VIHRP. -59- Publication A long- range publication program, des igned to pub- 1ish key translated documents in a systematic manner, should be an integral part of the VIHRP. Such a pub- lication program would give direction to the translation of selected historical doctiments and would make signi- ficant documents easily available and understandable to Vi rgin Is landers and in teres.ted resea·rchers. "The pub- lication ... of select state documents" observes the state , archivist of Trinidad-Tobago, "is one way of helping solve the problem of accessibility."1 And the value of care- fully edited, properly introduced and annotated documen- tary publications as teaching tools is clear - they not only contain hard to locate factual info~mation, but also show students how to evaluate evidence, and foster a.,finer appreciation of history by allowing thereider to share in the excitement of personally discovering and inter- preting the past. The VIHRP should procede in two phases. Phase I, the developmental phase, would focus on surveying and microfilming all significantpre-19l7 state records in European and American archives·. Detailed roll descrip- tions to all microfilms would be prepared and published lEnos Sewlal, "Problems of Making State Archival Material Avail- able (For Research and Other Purposes) In the Caribbean Countries," in Report of the Caribbean Archives· Conference (1965), p. 113. -60- in a guide, and a general bibliographical guide to all state papers would also be published in English. During this phase an administrative framework would be establish- ed and a qualified staff selected and trained. Phase II, the implementation phase, would involve systematic utilization of the historical materials gath- ered during Phase I. Professional historians and trans- lators fluent in Danish and othir necessary languages would select, translate, annotate and index significant documents for publication. Examples of documents that might be translated and published are the journals and report books of daily events compiled by various govern- ors between 1680-1742 which are in the Danish West India and Guinea Company Records, or the correspondence of Governor Peter von Scholten, or, more topically, docu- ments relating to slavery and emancipation. In addition to publication projects, program staff would continue to carry out archival surveys and selected copying of relevant private papers of church records. And they would be available to carry out special projects in co- operation with various territorial ag~ncies and organ- izations. The specific projects to be undertaken during Phase II will come into clearer focus as Phase I develops. - 61- For this reason the remainder of the paper will be de- voted to delineating Phase I, which is the crucial foun- dation upon which an on-going VIHRP must be built. Program Development Outline The foremost objective of Phase I will be to micro- film between seven and eight thousand volumes or packets of West Indian manuscripts at the Rigsarkivet (see Table I, p. 34 for a breakdown). An appropriate descriptive guide to the microfilm collection, plus a general biblio- graphical guide to relevant official manuscripts in Eur- opean and American state archives, will also be prepared and pub I ishe d. To accomplish the microfilming, it is proposed to assemble a team consisting of two processors from the Vir- gin Islands and one Danish historian/archivist to serve as project coordinator. In addition, a program director and a part-time administrative secretary from the Virgin Islands will be employed to handle general administrative -62- responsibili ties and to carry out special assignments. It is eitimated thit -th~ microfilm project and the archival surveys can be completed within four years from date of commencement. Taking the "Security" microfilm project at the Rigsarkivet as a modell, it is estimated that approximately 2,000 volumes or packets of 250 pages each can be processed annually by the above mentioned team, using its own camera and processing equipment, and assisted on a part-time basis by a qualified microphoto- graphy technician. A preliminary archival survey carried out by the Island Resources Foundation in the summer of 197I has i denti fie d approximately 9247 vol urnes or packets in var- ious West Indian collections at the Rigsarkivet which appear to be significant enough to warrant microfilming (see p. 34 ). However, it is known that there are many duplicates included in that figure. The extent of the duplications cannot be accurately measured until the West India Local Archive collection at the Rigsarkivet IAccording to figures supplied by Dr. Sune Dalgaard and the staff of the microfilm unit at the Rigsarkivet, the "Security" program is processing between 400,000 and 500,000 exposures per annum, using one camera, one camera operator and one photograph- er, plus processing equipment. - 63- (a total of 5200 of the 9247 volumes or packets) has been systematically surveyed and inventoried. Such a systematic survey is therefore a necessary first step before any full scale mass microfilming effort can be- gln. The Rigsarkivet has tentatively offered to assign one of its archivists to direct the survey; the Virgin Islands Historical Records Program will undertake to pro- vide two additional specialists, one Dane and one Virgin Islander, to assist him. It is estimated that the sur""' vey can be completed in six months. The end result would be twofold: 1) an accurate measurement and complete sel- ection of reco~ds to be microfilmed; and 2) the prepara- tion of a detailed finding aid to the records of the West India Local Archive collection. While the arthi val survey is being carried out,·. the Virgin Island processor-traine~s will be assigned to Copenhagen (presumably under the aegis of an internation- al exchange program) in order to receive intensiveinstruc- tion in the Danish language, the gothic script, Danish and Danish West Indian history, microphotography and manuscript preparation techniques. Filming will commence on a part-time basis three months after the arrival of the trainees and will start -64- on a full-time basis three months later. It is estimated that in the first year between 1000 and 1250 volumes or packets will be processed with appropriate roll notes. Thereafter, about 2000 volumes or packets will be process- ed annually until the filming is completed. While the microfilming is underway, surveys of Danish West Indian records in the state archives of France, England, Spain, Holland and the United States will also be undertaken, inventories prepared and copies made of relevant documents. The resultant inventories, together with the registers to th~ West Indian collections at the Rigsarkivet, will be compiled into a single guide which will be published in English. Archival Surveys During 'Phase I several surveys will be conducted to locate, inventory and describe historical records in European and American archives. The initial objective will be to survey the records in the West India Local Archives at the Rigsarkivet. This survey will be carried out during the first nine months of Phase I under the direction of an archivist assigned to the project by the Rigsarkivet. Two qualified -65- VIHRP staff members will participate in this survey. They will evaluate the records in terms of physical cond- ition and content and will determine to what extent they duplicate West Indian records in other collections. They will also conduct a small-scale survey of the .West Indian record group in the Gene~altoldQamme~et. Upon completion of these surveys, finding aids will be prepared in English and Danish, and a final selection made of records to be microfilmed. During the first two years of Phase I record surveys will also be undertaken by VIHRP staff in the state ar- chives of England, France, Holland and Spain. Relevant records at each repository will be identified, inventor- ied and copied (either by microfilming or Xerox repro- duction). Additionally, a qualified Danish archivist will survey and inventory the Danish West Indian records at the U.S. National Archives. Upon completion of all surveys, a "Guide to State Papers Relating to the pre-1917 History of the U.S. Vir- gin Islands in the National Archives of Denmark, England, France, Holland, Spain and the United States" will be compiled by the program director. This guide will con- sist of: 1) English translations of printed registers to West Indian records at the Rigsarkivet; 2) the riew -66- inventories of records in the West India Local Archives and the Genenaltold~ammene~; 3) calendars of records in English, French, Dutch and Spanish national archives; .and 4) the new inventory of Danish West Indian records at the U.S. National Archives. If a commercial academic pub- lisher cannot be located for this guide, it could be printed by the VIHRP in a low cost offset, 50ft-cover edition. Microfilming All mass microfilming of records at the Rigsarkivet must be carried out by the VIHRP using its own equipment. The Rigsarki vet cannot undertake this microfilming effort on the scale necessary to complete proposed work within the four yeir period b~~ause it possBise~ only twd micro- film cameras. One of these cameras "is assigned full-time to the "Security" program; the other is used for small- scale filming of outside orders or for special in-house filming. The VIHRP, therefore, will hive to provide "its own filming equipment and staff, but will then hive the added advantage of b~ing able to providegreiter control over the pace and quality of filming. TheRigsarkivet has indicated that it will try to provide space for the microfilm unit. -67- During Phase I microfilming will be limited to the voluminous records at the Rigsarkivet. Filming of the records at the U. S. National Archives (which would be done by the U.S. National Archives), while "desirable, is not contemplated in Phase I, as these records are more access- ibleto Americans and Virgin Islandeis, and the cost would be considerable. l Mass microfilming should begin SlX months after Phase I has started. The West India and Guinea Company Records would be filmed first as these records are not duplicated elsewhere in the Rigsarkivet. The records of other cen- tral administration offices would be filmed next, follow- ed by the Revised Accounts since, with few exceptions, these records are in far better condition than any dup- licates in the West India Local Archives. The records in the West India Local Archives which do not duplicate re- cords in other Danish coll~ctions will be filmed last. This will allow program staff sufficient time to check the records of the West India Local Archives against other Rigsarkivet records, as well as against those in the U.S. National Ar- chives, for duplication and relative physical condition. The standard reduction ratio of 12: I should be adhered to as far as possible to insure sharpness and clarity of image essential for easy viewing. Clarity of image is particularly important because of the special problems associated with deciphering the Danish gothic script. IAn arrangement might be worked out with the U.S. National Archive~ - _., :1 L_ ~ ___ 1- ____ ..... ..l -68- Program staff, assisted by a microphotography spec- ia1ist, will be responsible for inspecting and testing each roll of processed negative film to check on complete- ness, proper arrangement, legibility, resolution, density, and to note where retakes (which will be spliced in place) are necessary. In addition, arrangements will be made with the Kodak Company in Copenhagen to periodically in- spect the film. Equipment Dr. Sune Dalgaard of the Landsarkivet for Sjaelland, Mr. Joseph LaHood of the Library of Congress and Mr. Robert Moron, microfilm specialist at the St. Thomas Public Library, have strongly recommended that the VIHRP use microfilm equipment manufactured by Kodak, as it is generally considered to be of the highest quality and because a Kodak distributor is located in Copenhagen. The following list of essential microfilm equip- ment is taken from the Danish Kodak catalog dated August 22, 1977. Item I Micro-file Machine MRD-2 M/Film Unit 1 Eiliectric Counter Kit for above 1 Column Extension Kit model 2 for above Cat'alog # #190 4010 #199 1165 #143 6328 -69- Item 1 Prostar Film Processor HDVR 1 Processed Film Inspection -Kit 1 35mm Self-Threader (3 stk.) 1 Prostar Tape and Dispenser 1 Chemical Replenisher Kit 1 qt. Microfilm Developer Starter 40 gl. Microfilm Developer Repl. 5 gl. Microfilm Fixer (20 gl.) Prostar Kemika1ier: 3,8 1 Developer Prostar Xemika1ier: 3,8 1 Fixer 12 gl. Developer System Cleaner 2~ gl. Fixer Syste~ Cleaner 1~ oz. Lens Cleaner 16 oz. Lens Cleaner Cat"aTog # # 300 0817 # 199 0274 #199 1009 #199 0977 #146 3678 #193 6715 #158 3574 #141 8243 #329 2471 #329 2489 #155 5929 #187 0054 #176 7136 #146 3728 The Car1esberg Foundation in Denmark has agreed to consider a proposal from the VIHRP, whereby the Foundation would provide the above equipment to the VIHRP on a temporary basis, until mass microfilming at the Rigsarkivet has been completed. It is anticipated that the Rigsarki vet will allow the VIHRP access to certain types of accessory equipment, such asa film duplicator, a densitometer and other testing equipment. Film The VIHRP should use film that meets the minimum standards for permanent record film established by the American National Standards Institute in New York City. Specifically, the film should be safety, ,-- - 70- unperforated microfilm in the standard 35mm. widths and 100 foot length~, which is capable of accommodat- ing 1000 to 1200 exposures per roll. 1 The film should be fine-grained, high contrast, silvei halide pano- chromatic microfilm with an emulsion capable of high resolution. To pre~ent scratching and rusting the film should be on plastic spools , bound with paper with string ties and stored in appropriately labelled cardboard boxes. About one thousand rolls of negative film will be needed annually, assuming that 2000 volumes or packets, averaging 250 pages eich, will be processed each year. Manuscript Arrangement and Preparation The arrangement and prep~ration of manuscripts for microfilming is an important preliminary step. The procedures to be followed should be- thOse set 1A new polye~ter-based film, 140 fe~tin length, might also be consideied. Each roll of this film wOuld contain 2200-2300 images (about twice as many as the 100 foot acetate-based film), but would only cost about 60 percent more than a roll of acetate-based film. Polyester is also strongei than acetate. - 71- forth in Frank B. Evans, The' "Se1"e'ct1'onandPrepar- ation of Records for Publication on Microfilm (Staff Information Paper 19, U.S. National Archives and Re- cords Service, 1975).1 To summarize briefly, once the records have been selected,2 they must then be put in order, with appro- priate target and insert pages, before filming begins. 3 Each volume must be carefully checked for completeness and notes must be made of all missing material, mutil- ations and irregularites. ~~enever possible, missing material will be located and inserted in its proper place. All extraneous material must be removed, folded documents will be unfolded and flattened. Duplicates will be noted so that they will not be filmed. Where necessary, minimal repairs will be made and bindin~s may have to be temporarily loosened and removed. Careful attention will be given to determining roll breaks. ISee also "A Guide for Microfilm Documentary Publication Proj ects Conducted Under Grants From the National Historical Publications Commission," (1964), which is available from the National Histor- ical Publications' arid Records Commission in Washington, D.C. 2Mos t of the material to be microfilmed will be pre-selected. Except in the case of damaged material, most records will be ex- cluded on a group basis rather than by individual volume, packet or document. All individual omissions from the microfilm public- ation will be noted on explanatory insert pages. 3Manuscripts selected for filming will generally be arranged in accordance with existent collection arrangement, except that man- uscript indexes or registers will be filmed before the documents themselves, and enclosures will be filmed immediately after letters of transmittal. - 72- Preparation of necessary descriptive information will be an integral part of pre filming arrang~ment work. General introductory material, roll notes, targets, note~ on series arrangements will all be pre~ared bi program staff and inserted where neces- sary. Guide to the Microfilm Collection A descriptive guide to all material microfilmed at the Rigsarkivet will be prepared in English and published separately. It will include a brief intro- ductory history of the Danish West Indies, describe the microfilm collection as a whole, provide a short historical background to the individual collections, delineate the arrangement and filming methodology, give a breakdown by rolls, summarize related material not filmed, identify appropriate finding aids and contain a general index. The guide will be typed in camera ready copy by project staff and will be an offset publication for low cost distribution. - 73- Paper Conservation A small percentage of the material at the Rigsar- kivet, particularly in the West India Local Archives, is known to be too badly deteriorated to permit photo- duplication at this time. A precise assessment of these damaged records will have to await the system- atic survey of the West Indian Local Archives. At present, it is not advisable from the Program's view- point that these badly deteriorated records should be repaired in order to permit microfilming. The cost would be high, and the work time consuming. However, as some of these records are known to be of consider- able importance, it is likely that at some future date, when appropriate paper conservation has been effected, the V.I. Historical Records Program will want to add them to its microfilm collection. For this reason the Program should work closely with the Rigsarkivet to secure funding to help salvage these records. Index It is not recommended that systematic indexing of the microfilmed material be carried out during Phase I. Indexing is a laborious, time-consuming -74- task which could better be carried out during Phase II. However, to insure that comprehensive or select- lve indexing can be undertaken by VIHRP at a later date, all filming will be carried out with every exposure numbered by an automatic numbering device attached to the camera. Because a comprehensive index is one means of alleviating the language problem inherent in the Danish records, serious consideration should be given to preparing a computerized key word index to the entire microfilm collection. In that case, a pro- gram code would have to be developed in advance to lnsure that every page filmed would contain a code number which could later be computerized. Staff The three full-time staff members of the microfilm team ln Denmark will consist of one project coordinator and two processors. The projett coordinator will be in charge of all ph~ses of th~ microfilm project at the Rigsarkivet, in- cluding supervision of the processors. Specific respons- ibilities will be to prepare and arrange all material - 75- to be microfilmed, to prepare all targets and roll notes, to supervise the filming and testing of all processed film, and to prepare a register to all microfilm material. During the first year of Phase I, the project coordinator will assist in the survey of the West India Local Archives, will help select records for microfilming, will help in- struct the processor-trainees and will help translate into English the printed registers to the West Indian records at the Rigsarkivet. The project coordinator should be a Dane with a university degree. He/she will have a working knowledge of Danish West Indian history, the Danish West Indian records at the Rigsarki vet and the Danish gothic script. He/she will be paid in accordance with existent Danish pay scales. The processors will alternate as camera operators and as assistants to the project coordinator in prepar- ation and arrangement of pre-filmed records, in the in- spection and testing of processed microfilm, and in the preparation of roll notes and the printed guide to all microfilmed material. Every effort will be made to recruit two qualified Virgin Islanders as processors. Candidates will be sought at the College of the Virgin Islands, mainland universities - 76- ... : and colleges, and from the community at large. Minimum requirements will be an undergraduate degree in social studies, history or a foreign language, a basic knowledge of Virgin Islands history and a demonstrated proficiency ln at least one foreign language. During their first year with the Program they will be classified as "trainees" and will, upon arrival in Denmark, embark upon a concen- trated course of studies in Virgin Islands and Danish history, in the Danish language and the Danish gothic script, and in microphotography techniques. Historical and language studies will be arranged through the Univer- sity of Copenhagen (Dr. Ole Justesen and Dr. Ove Hornby of that University have indicated that they would assist in these .arrangements), while microphotography in~truct­ ion will be given by a part-time microphotography spec- ialist. After their first six months of training in Denmark, the processors will commence work on a full-time basis (i.e., a forty hour work week) and will be granted an annual two week paid holiday (which would include two paid round-trip airfares between Copenhagen and the Virgin Is- lands for each processor during Phase I). The processors should be paid in accordance with salary scales in the Virgin Islands, with yearly increases. -77- In order to insure program continuity the processor- trainees would be required on eritering the Program to sign a contract in which they agree to work with the Program for at least four years in Denmark. Should time permit, the processor-trainees might re- ceive preliminary instruction in Danish and in microphoto- graphy before leaving the Virgin Islands for Denmark. In addition to the three full-time members of the microfilm team, the VIHRP will have two part-time admin- istrati ve staff: a program director and an administrative secretary. The program director should be a professional archiv- ist or historian with a graduate 'degree, a good knowledge of Virgin Islands history and a working knowledge of at least one European language, preferably Danish. The program director's responsibilities will iriclude ~stablish­ ing, coordinating and administrating all activities of the VIHRP, monitoring the microfilm project, determining bud- getary requirements, fund raising and proposal preparation, and overall program development. In addition, the program director will carry out specific assignments, as follows: During th~first year of Phase I the program direc- tor will arrange, cotirdinate 'and participate in the training program for the' processors, will setup the - 78- microfilm unit and select records for filming, will esta- blish guidelines and procedures, and supervise manuscript preparation and arrange~ent, will participate in the sur- vey of the West India Local Archives and othei collections at the Rigsarkivet, will survey and inventory records in other European archive~. During the second year the program dire~tor will con- tinue to survey and inventory records in European archives and will assist in surveiing th~Danish West India records at the u.s. National Archives. During the thi±d year the program director will com- pile and prepare for publication a bibliographical guide to pre~1917 state papeis relating to the U.S. Virgin Is- lands in European and American statearchi ves. During the fourth year the program director will help establish prioritie~, programs and propos~ls for Phase II of the VIHRP; will h~lp in th~ final phases of the Danish microfilm project and will help prep~re a guide to the microfilmed material. The administrative secretary will perform all program typing (including manuscript preparation) and bookkeeping, will prepare program reports as necessary and will assist the program director in handling routine "administrative matters. - 79- - : Institutional Cooperation and Support Several local, national and international organiza- tions have expressed interest in cooperating with and supporting the proposed VIHRP. In the Virgin Islands three agencies of the local government - the Planning Office (which administers the territorial historical preservation program), the Depart- ment of Conservation and Cultural Affairs, and a division within that department, the Bureau of Libraries, Museums and Archaeological S~rvices have indicated that they would consider extending some assistance to the VIHRP, as have the territorial Advisory Board for the National Historical Records and Publications Commission, the Vir- gin Islands National Park and the West India Company. In the United States, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Historical Publications and Records Commiss ion, the Council on Library Resources, Inc., the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation are willing to consider specific proposals submi tted by the VIHRP. The Library of Congress has agreed to lend technical assistance and is prepared to -- -~ I I I -t·- -80- consider purchase of one microfilm ~et of the records filmed at the Rigsarkivet. The U.S. National Archives is interested in purchasing selected microfilm rolls and has agreed to consider providing funds to secure the services of a Danish archivist to inventory the Danish Wes t Indian records he Id in Record Group 55. In Denmark, the Rigsarkivet is extremely interest- ed in assisting the VIHRP. It has agreed to consider as- signing one archivist to direct the survey of the West India Local Archi ves, to provide space for the microfilm uni t and to provide access to some support equipment and personnel. The Carlesberg Foundation has agreed to con- sider a proposal for the necessary microfilm equipment, while two other private organizations - the Danish West Indian Society and the Legatetaf Maj 1956 - have express- ed interest in providing sdmefinancia1 assistance. None of the abOve organizations have made any firm commitment to provide financial support to the VIHRP. In most cases, such support is contingent upon the adop- tion of this plan or an equivalent plan and upon the submission and approval of formal proposals. Neverthe- less, there is reason to assume that wifhdetermination and resourcefulnes~sufficien:t support will beforthcom- ing from .several of these organizations to fund Pha.se I - 81- of the proposed VIHRP. ShOuld that prove the case, some, perhaps all, program costs not covered by outright grants might be re~overed bi th~ ~ale of microfilm sets to in- terested or participating institutions. According to Dr. James Brodeiickof th~ Library of Congress, this ap- proachhas proven successful in other projects involving mass microfilming of historical records in European archives. Budget All budgetary costs for Phase T must necessarily be tentative at this time. "FreTirriinary budgets for the absolutely necessary annual di"re"ctcosts of Phase I appear in Appendix I. Based on the assumption that Phase I will be completed in four years, these annual budgets indicate a total direct cost for Phase I of ap- proximately $334,931.00. Indirect costs, which are ex- tremely difficult to calculate at this time, will inciease this figure substantially. It must be emphasized that this estimate reflects only the minimal essential expenses/needs of Phase I. Moreover, as the figur.e~; employed are based on salary schedules, travel costs and other rates in effect as of October 31, 1977, it can be expected that some costs will -82- increase over th~duration of Phase I due to inflation. The budgetary requirenientsof Phase I are within the range of availab Ie financial resources. Approxima t e- 1y $140,000 might b~forthtoming from federal agencies, such as the National Endowment for the Humanities or the National Historical Records and Publications Commission; approximately $100,000 might b~forthtoming from private foundations, such as the Rockefeller Foundation; as much as $85,000 could come from Danish and oth~i sources; and the sale of processed mircofilm to the Library of Con- gress and/or oth~r archival institutions could generate as much as $100,000 to $150,000. In order to meet basic budgetary needs fund raising must be an integral part of Phase I. Funding support from sources already identified must be actively sought before and during Phase I. Al ternati vefunding sources must be explored. Sophisticated proposals will have to be prepared and submitted. Prospective purchasers of pro- cessed microfilm will have to be located. In-kind ser- vices must be solicited from cooperating institutions. - 8 3- CONCLUSION There is a growing need to make the historical records of the Virgin Islands more ~ccessible to the people of the Virgin Islands, as well as to hationalscholars generally. Accomplishnient of this worthwhile goal requires a closely focused, tightly coordinated, comprehensive program involving individuals and organizations from the Virgin Islands, the United States, Denmark and othii European nations. As the task is an enormous one, it is imperative that the limited resources available be marshalled and concentrated on the development and implementation of an integrated, systematic Virgin Islands Historical Records Program. Piecemeal efforts to deal with the matter of increased historical documentation can only be inefficient and wasteful. The plan set forth in this paper provides a comprehensive and ieasible framework for a Virgin Islands Historical Records Program. Although a considerable amount of financial support is required to make the proposed program operative, if the finan- cial resources identified during this planning study are adroi t-· ly tapped and managed, then the goal is indeed realizable. Time, however, is a critical factor. One consequence of the planning study carried out by the Island Resources Foundation is -84- that considerable local, national and international interest has been aroused in the establishment of a Virgin Islands His- torical Records Program. To insure that momentum already gath- ered not be lost, it is important that the VIHRP commence no later than summer 1978, a date agreeable with the schedules of most potential funding organizations and with the Rigsarkivet. It is urged, therefore, that the proposed VIHRP be speedily adopted and supported by the government of the Virgin Islands, which has a decided interest and responsibility in its establish- ment. Ideally the VIHRP should become an integral part of a ter- ritorial archives program, as authorized by Act. No. 1880,approved March 14, 1967 by the Seventh Legislature of the Virgin Islands of the United States. Unfortunately, a territorial archives program does not yet exist, although its establishment is cur~ rently under consideration by government. . In the absence of an operati ve territorial archives, the VIHRP could be -temporarily. attached to an appropriate governmental department, such as the Department of Conservation and Cultural Affairs. Whatever the Vitgin Islands government elects to do in this regard, it is strongly recommended that it give serious consider- ation to contracting with a profeisionally qualified, local, non-governmental organization, such as the Island Resources Foun- dation, to implement, coordinate and administer Phase I. Such a non-governmental organization would possess the experience, -85- staff and, most importantly, the flexibility essential to chore- . ograph the diverse organizations, tasks and peisonnel required to accomplish Phase 1. In addition, its participation would help reduce initial pro gram expenditures by facilitating part- time or short-term staff employment, would provide immediate space, equipment and supporting services at reduced cost and would assist materially in raising program funds, and in sharing program costs. IN SUMMARY, THE FOLLOWING RECO~~ENDATIONS ARE STRONGLY URGED: 1) That the government of the Virgin Islands adopt and support the comprehensive, coordinated historical records program set forth in this plan. 2) That that records program undertake archival surveys, record copying, selected translation and publication activities and historical research on a long-term, systematic basis. 3) That the records program conceritrateinitially on surveying and copying official state papers relating to the Virgin Islands in the national archives of Den~ark, England, France, Holland, Spain and the United States. 4) That at least one copy of all copied documents be deposited in the Virgin Islands with an appropriate governmerital agency.- 5) That the government of the Virgin Islands contiact with a qualified non- governmental .terri torial organization to help implement Phase I of the records program. - 86- The moment for constructive action has arrived. A realistic historical records program plan has been formulated and awaits implementation. Requisite legislation is on the books. Qual- ified staff are available. Several organizations hive indicated their willingness to provide assistance. Itre~ains for the government of the Virgin Islands to seize the present opportun- ity, and thus, to seize the Past. "For a creative future to emerge, the past must be put on our list of possessions." Geo r ge 'Lamming - 8 7- .. , : APPENDIX PHASE I BUDGET"ESTIMATES (Direct Costs only) Year I Sa laries 1 Program Director~ 12 mos. @$16~800/year 1 Administrative Secretary~ 3 mos. @$1,000/month 1 Microfilm Project Coordinator~ 12 mos. @$12,000/yr 2 Processor-Trainees~ 12 mos. ea. @$8,000/year Fringe Benefits~ 15% of above salaries 1 Danish Archivist, 9 mos. @$18,000/year 1 Microcopy specialist, 300 hrs. at $10/hour Sub-Total Travel and Per Diem 2 one-way airfares~ St. Thomas-Copenhagen(proc.-train.) 1 RT airfare, St. Thomas-Copenhagen (prog. dir.) 1 RT airfare, Copenhagen-London-Paris (prog. dir.) Per diem-Program Director's travel 15 days @$35/day Sub-total Equipment and Supplies 1 set microcopy camera, processor~ accessories, etc. 750 rolls raw microfilm @$5.00 per roll Miscellaneous Corrrnuni cati ons Postage Electric Typewriter Office Supplies Xerox and Photocopy Sub-Total $16 ~800. 3,000. 1 12,000. 16 ~OOO. 7,170. 2 13,500. 3,000. 3 1,300. 3 1,300. 460. 3 525. 4 17,050. 3,750. 400. 400. 275. 400. 1,000 1Based on official Danish salary scale for university graduates. 2To be donated by Ri gsa rki vet. $71~470.00 3,585.00 20~800.00 3 Based on high season economY fare in effect October 31, 1977, plus surface trans. 4Based on prices in Kodak Danish catalogue dated August 22~ 1977. - 8 8- Year I (cant.) Oversea cost of living allowance for Program Director, $125/mo. for four months Conti ngenci es Consultants Sub-Total TOTAL DIRECT COST ;s00. 1,500. 1,000. 5,475.00 $10 1,330.00 -89- - : Year II - BUDGET ESTIMATES (Direct Costs only) Salaries 1 Program Director, 6 mos. @$16,800/year $ '8,400. 1 Administrative Secretary, 3 mos @$l,OOO/month 3,000. 1 Microfilm Project Coordinator, 12 mos. @$15,000/yr. 15,000. 2 Processors, 12 mos. each @$8,500/year 17,000. Fringe Benefits, 15% of above salaries 6,510. 1 Records Specialist (Spanish Archives)3 mos. @$1400/mo. 4,200. 1 Records Specialist (Dutch Archives) 2 mos. @$1400/mo. 2,800. 1 Records Specialist (US. Nat. Archives) 6 mos. @$18K/yr. 9,000. 1 Microcopy Specialist, 250 hrs. @$10/hour 2,500. Sub-Total $68,410.00 Travel and Pet Diem 2 RT airfares, Copenhagen-St. Thomas (Processors) 1 RT airfare St. Thomas-Copenhagen (Program Director) Per Diem for Program Director's travel-3D days @$35/day 1 RT airfare, St. Thomas-Seville (Records Specialist) Per Diem for Records Spec. in Spain, 7 days@$35/day 1 RT airfare, Cop~nhagen-Washington, D.C. (Danish Arc.) Per Diem for Records Spec. in Wash. D.C. 3 days @$30/day 1 RT airfare, St. Thomas~Wash.D.C.-N.Y.) Prog. Dir. 1 1,560. 780. 2 1,050. 930. 2 245. 930. 2 90. 250. 1 Per Diem for Prog. Director in Wash. D.C. 20 days @$30/day600. Sub-Tota 1 6,435.00 IBased on low season excursion fare in effect on October 31, 1977, plus surface transportation. 2Based on high season economY fare in effect on October 31, 1977, plus surface transportation. -90- Year II (cont.) Supplies 'and Miscellaneous 1000 rolls raw mi crofilm at $5.00 per roll Chemicals Communications Postage Office Supplies Xerox and Photocopy Overseas cost of living allowance for Records Spec- ialist in France, $125/mo. for three months Overseas cost of living allowance for Records Spec- ialist in Spain, $125/mo. for three months Contingencies Sub-Total TOTAL DIRECT COST $ 5,000. 200. 500. 400. 400. 750. 375. 375. 1,500. 9,500.00 $84,345.00 - 91- . , Year III - BUDGET ESTIMATES (Direct Costs only) Salaries 1 Program Director, 6 mos. @$18,000/yr. $ 9,000. 1 Administrative Secretary, 4 mos. @$12,960/yr. 4,320. 1 Microfilm Project Coordinator, 12 mos. @$15,000/yr. 15,000. 2 Processors, 12 mos. each @$9,500/yr. 19,000. Fringe Benefits, 15% of above salaries 7,098. 1 Microcopy Specialist, 200 hrs. @$10/hour Sub-Total Travel and'PerDiem 2 RT airfares Copenhagen-St. Thomas (Processors) 1 RT airfare St. Thomas-Copenhagen (Program Director) Per Diem for Prog. Director's travel,30 days @$35/day 1 RT airfare St. Thomas-Washing, D.C.-New York Per Di em for Prog. Di rector's travel, 12 days @$30/day Sub-Tota 1 Supplies and Miscellaneous 1000 rolls raw microfilm at $5.00 per roll Chemicals Communications Postage Office Supplies Xerox and Photocopy Contingencies Publications Sub-Total 1000 copies, IIGuide to Records ll - 8.5 11 x 11 11 , 400 pp. (estimate) offset, soft-cover TOTAL DIRECT COST 2~000. 1 , 1,560. 780. 1 1,050. 250. 1 360. 5,000. 200. 500. 400. 400. 200. 1,500. $56,418.00 4,000.00 8,200.00 6,000.00 $74,618.00 IBased on low season excursion fare in effect on October 31, 1977, plus surface transportation. -92- Year IV - BUDGET ESTIMATES (D rect Costs only) Salaries 1 Prog,ram Director, 6 rros. @$18,000/yr. 1 Administrative Secretary, 4 mos. @$12,960./yr. 1 Microfilm Project Coordinator, 12 mos. @$15,000/yr. 2 Processors, 12 rros. each @$lO,OOO/yr. Fringe Benefits, 15% of above salaries 1 Microfilm Specialist, 125 hrs. @$10/hour Sub-Total Travel and Per Diem 2 one way airfars Copenhagen-St. Thomas (Processors) 1 RT St. Thomas-Copenhagen (Program Director) Per Diem for Program Di rector's travel, 30 days @$35/day 1 RT St. Thomas-Washington-New York (Program Director) Per Diem for Program Director's travel, 12 days @$30/day Supplies and Miscellaneous 1000 rolls raw microfilm at $5.00 per roll Chemicals Corrmun i ca t ions Postage Office Supplies Xerox'and Photocopy Contingencies Publications 1000 copi es "Mi crofi 1 m Gui de", 8.5" X 1111 offset, soft-cover, 400 pp. (est.) Sub-Total Sub-Total TOTAL DIRECT COST 2 1,300. 860. 2 1,050. 250. 1 360. 5,000. 200. 500. 400. 200. 200. 1,500. 3,820.00 8,000.00 6,000.00 $74,638.00 1Based on low season excursion fare in effect October 31, 1977, plus surface transportation. 2Based on hi gh season econolTJY fare in effect October 31, 1977, pl us surface transportation. ,-- I - 9 3- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people, too numerous to mention here, helped in the preparation of this document. The author would particularly like to mention, and personally thank, Dr. Harold Larsen, who assisted in the survey and eva.luation of the records at the U. S. National Archives; Dr. James Rhoads, Ms. Jane Smith, Dr. Howard Pinkett and Mr. Richard Maxwell of the U.S. National Ar- chives for their help and permission to work in the stacks; Mr. Poul Olsen, who ably assisted in the surv~y and evaluation of the records at the Rigsarkivet; Dr. Johan Hvidfeldt, Mr. Sigurd Rambusch, Mr.. Frank Jorgensen and Mr. Morton Westrup of the Rig- sarkivet for their generous cooperation and advice; Dr. Sune Dalgaard, Director of the Landsarkivet for Sjaelland for his expert advice on microphotographic techniques and equipment; and in the Virgin Islands, Dr. Henry K. Chang, Director of the Bureau of Libraries, Museums and Archaeological Services; Mr. Robert Moron of the St. Thomas Public Library; Dr. Edward Towle, President of the Island Resources Foundation; Ms. Enid M. Baa, Treasurer of th~ Caribbean Archives Association, for their kind assistance and constructive suggestions, and Ms. Kathleen Finnerty for typing th~final manuscript.