Background:
During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
Virgin Islands Introduction 2010
https://workmall.com/wfb2010/virgin_islands/virgin_islands_introduction.html
SOURCE: 2010 CIA WORLD FACTBOOK AND OTHER SOURCES
