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John F. McKeon  Danish Archivists Asbjørn Hellum and Ruth Hedegaard are not your average tourists  taking photos on vacation. The two historians are leading an effort to save Virgin Island  history by digitizing records spanning from 1672 to 1917. They are photographing  historical records ranging from plantation deeds to church records. Their intent is to  communicate the silent voices of the enslaved. This work, funded by a private foundation and supported by the Danish Nat

John F. McKeon  The Puerto Rican independence movement is one of the longest standing anti-colonial struggles in the Western Hemisphere, spanning over 150 years across two different imperial powers.   From the 19th-century revolts against Spain to modern-day political alliances, the movement has consistently sought  full sovereignty for the island. Isolated historical events are rare, as history functions  more like a cascading chain reaction. One development inevitably infor

John F. McKeon  The Strait of Hormuz is the most vital artery in the global energy market, serving as the  sole maritime passageway for over a fifth of the world’s daily oil consumption. Nestled  between Oman and Iran, this narrow choke point connects the petroleum-rich Persian  Gulf to the Arabian Sea and the open oceans, making it a permanent focal point of  international geopolitics. Even a temporary disruption in its shipping lanes triggers a  catastrophic spike in energy

John F. McKeon  Image:Funeral Procession by Ellis Wilson In the colonial Danish West Indies, the plantocracy’s denial of traditional burial rights was a calculated tool of "social death," intended to strip enslaved Africans of their ancestral connections and reduce them to mere chattel property. By prohibiting cultural customs —such as night burials, drumming, and communal grieving—planters sought to prevent the "demonic" or "mutinous" organization they feared these rituals f

John F. McKeon  For three decades, Section 936 of the US Internal Revenue Code served as the linchpin of Puerto Rico’s industrial strategy, reportedly transforming the island into a manufacturing hub by allowing US corporations to repatriate profits nearly tax-free. Section 936 (also known as the Possession Tax Credit) was a provision in our tax code enacted in 1976 ostensibly to encourage business investment in Puerto Rico and other US territories. The provision successfully

John F. McKeon  The relationship between housing and crime is a multi-layered intersection of socioeconomic stability, urban design, and public policy that may significantly shape the safety of modern communities. Historical theories often link low-income housing to increased delinquency. But is that an accurate assessment? Does that explain the rise and nature of crime on St. Croix? A closer look into the history of housing and crime on the Island may help.  The history of h

John F. McKeon  Columbus’ Second Voyage 1494  On Monday, October 7, 1494, Christopher Columbus was positioned off the coast of Africa with his fleet of 17 ships. He departed from Gomera, an island in the Spanish Canary Islands and embarked upon his second voyage to the Indies. This was done under secrecy to avoid the course of his route becoming known to the rival Portuguese. By Thursday, October 24, Columbus became concerned. Having traveled more than 1400 miles to the West,

John F. McKeon  Image: Danish Customs House in the Christiansted National Historic Site on St. Croix  The idea of acquiring Greenland is not new. It's been around since the 19th-century and has since been defined by nearly 160 years of US strategic interests, formal defense cooperations, and reoccurring American attempts to acquire the Greenland itself. Some background on Greenland is required.  Greenland operates as a self-governing parliamentary democracy. The local governm

John F. McKeon  There is much debate concerning the reasons for the recent invasion of Venezuela by the US. But is the real story about drugs, or terror, or oil for America? Or is it all about energy leverage, China!s dependence, and the long game shaping global power? Its a bold and possibly reckless strategy that has many moving parts, requires nimble US action and has no assurance of success. The US has a long history of tampering in Latin America, it is nothing new and no

John F. McKeon  Image: Danish Customs House in the Christiansted National Historic Site on St. Croix  The architecture of the Danish West Indies, (presently known as the U.S. Virgin Islands) is an adaptive style shaped by the region!s tropical climate and by its colonial history. Danish West Indian architecture was largely exported from the urban aesthetic of Copenhagen to the Caribbean islands of St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John. In historic towns like Christiansted and C

John F. McKeon  Getty Images  This past week I drove into Frederiksted to pay a call on the newly arrived USS Iwo Jima (1) Frederiksted is on the west end of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. It is a port with a long pier that welcomes cruise ships. The area is known for sunsets, calm blue waters, and white sand beaches. A noticeably large US maritime presence has been gathering in the Caribbean Sea since this past July. The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived o

John F. McKeon  My wife and I recently spent the past month driving through Ireland, England and Scotland. The road traffic system is predicated on driving in the left lane. As a long time resident of St. Croix for the past fifteen years I believed that I was well at ease with these conditions. I could not have been more wrong. The steering wheel was on the right hand side of the vehicle rather than the left. I was able to adapt but I came to the conclusion that my use of a l