Title: Columbus Landing 1493 St Croix USVI
Headings: 

Content: Columbus Landing 1493 St Croix USVI
Columbus Landing 1493 St Croix
October 12, 2015
In 1493 Christopher Columbus landed on what would later become St Croix, US Virgin Islands at Salt River Bay changing the course of the island’s history and setting the stage for 7 European Flags to fly over the island. This is the only spot in the United States where Columbus actually landed and was the first violent altercation between the Old World and the New. Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve marks an area of incredible history not only for the island but for the world in general. For thousands of years, Arawak (Igneri and Taino) and Carib Indians inhabited the area now known as Salt River Bay/Columbus Landing. Archaeological research dating back to 1880 shows that the land here was a major religious and cultural area and had long-term permanent settlements. Arawak is a broad term that refers to the indigenous peoples of South America and the Caribbean who spoke a common language and had a shared culture. Taino is more commonly used for the “Island Arawaks” who stretched from the Greater Antilles up through the Lesser Antilles (where St Croix can be found) as opposed to the mainland Arawaks. These first inhabitants of the Caribbean Islands had a rich culture and history and previous excavations at Salt River revealed the only ceremonial Ball Court in the Caribbean here on St Croix, lending to its historical significance. The area was thriving with indigenous peoples cultivating manioc, soursop, papaya, guava, sapote, yellow sapote, guava, sapodilla, and avocado and fishing in the locally rich waters. Read more detail about the indigenous peoples of Salt River: