A referendum on transferring ownership to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

was held on 9 January 1868 on the islands of Sankt Jan and Sankt Thomas, two of three main islands in the

Danish West Indies The Danish West Indies ( da, Dansk Vestindien) or Danish Antilles or Danish Virgin Islands were a Danish colonization of the Americas, Danish colony in the Caribbean, consisting of the islands of Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas ...

.Dänisch-Westindien (Amerikanische Jungferninseln), 9. Januar 1868 : Abtretung an die USA
Direct Democracy In the referendum, held by

universal male suffrage Universal manhood suffrage is a form of voting rights in which all adult male citizens within a political system are allowed to vote, regardless of income, property, religion, race, or any other qualification. It is sometimes summarized by the slog ...

, voters could approve or reject the outcome of negotiations for the sale of the two islands to the United States for US$7.5 million. The third island, Sankt Croix, was to be sold separately to the US at a later date. The sale was approved by 98.26% of voters. Although it was a binding referendum, the

US Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

finally reneged on the agreement in 1870. The Islands were later transferred to the United States after a second referendum in 1916 and the subsequent

Treaty of the Danish West Indies The Treaty of the Danish West Indies, officially the Convention between the United States and Denmark for cession of the Danish West Indies, was a 1916 treaty transferring sovereignty of the Virgin Islands in the Danish West Indies from Den ...

Results

References

{{US Virgin Islands elections 1868 referendums Referendums in Danish West Indies 1868 elections in the Caribbean January 1868 events History of the Danish West Indies Denmark–United States relations United States–Caribbean relations Sovereignty referendums History of United States expansionism Proposed states and territories of the United States

Results

See also

References