News Articles

From Plantations to Projects: The History of Housing and Crime on St.Croix

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

The Virgin Islands: What’s in a Name?

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,

Greenland: Where Everything Old is New Again

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

The Caribbean and Why Panama 'Worked' and Venezuela Is Different

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

The Architecture of the Virgin Islands: Its All in the Details

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

The U.S. Navy has Always Shown the World Who is the Boss

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

The Rules of the Road: A History of Left and Right-Hand Driving in the US Virgin Islands

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

Altered States: The US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico

John F. McKeon ' In the early 20th century, America was flexing its economic and political muscle on the international stage. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries America’s rise as a dominant power in the Caribbean involved a gradual shift from indirect economic influence to overt military and political control. This shift was motivated by strategic interests, economic expansion, and imperial ambitions, the US supplanted declining European colonial powers and es