Today when people think of Danish colonies Greenland likely comes to mind, and that’s not exactly the sort of place where a sun helmet is often required. However, Denmark was a colonial power in tropical regions and while it never really competed with the British, French, Spanish or Dutch in the Caribbean, the first Danish colony was founded in the West Indies in the 1660s.

The Danish West India Company was organized on March 11, 1672 and soon after established a settlement on St. Thomas. The Danish West Indies were invaded twice by the British – the first time during the French Revolutionary Wars and the second time during the Napoleonic Wars. Following those bloodless invasions the islands were at relative peace and managed by the Danish West Indies Gendarmerie as well as the West Indian Military Forces. Continue reading →