What country sold the Virgin Islands to the US for $25 million in 1917?

The US Virgin Islands were sold to the United States by Denmark. The Americans took possession on March 31, 1917. The Danish had a presence in the Caribbean since 1672. Sugarcane, the main export, was harvested by slave labor, which included the indigenous people. But as they were decimated, African slaves replaced and absorbed the remainder. In 1732, a significant slave rebellion took place on St John. The rebellious slaves managed to rule the island for six months. The rebellion was put down with help from the French on Martinique. More than a dozen of the rebels killed themselves instead of surrendering.

By 1755, the slaves outnumbered the Danish by 5:1. The colony was no longer economically viable. Slavery was outlawed in 1848. Numerous attempts to make the colony profitable again failed.

There were several failed attempts to transfer the islands to the U.S. W.W. I gave a new urgency to transfer the islands. There was a perceived threat that the Germans would seize them and build a U-Boat base. The Danish West Indies Treaty was signed in 1916. The U.S. took possession in 1917.