Sources on colonial rule in the Danish West Indies

The source groups here are selected as examples of the areas where the colonial authority exercised control over life in the colony. However, sources on colonial rule can, of course, be found in most documents from the period. However, sources on colonial rule can be found in many other sources. In the registry, you can get an overview of all digitized records from local Danish authorities in the Danish West Indies.

Find a glossary with explanations of the most important archival terms and concepts: Danish-English translations of archival terms.

A proclamation book is a collection of local legislation. The name originates from the practice of announcing local laws to the public through posters displayed in public spaces. Proclamation books can help you investigate local legislation in the Danish colony on a specific subject during the period of approximately 1733-1882.

In addition to local legislation, there was also central legislation issued by the authorities in Copenhagen. These two types of legislation complemented each other, but proclamations are typically more detailed regarding local matters.

The eight proclamation books are organized chronologically, but there is significant overlap in time periods, so the same legislation might appear in multiple books. However, a proclamation book may not contain all the legislation from the period it claims to cover.

To find all local legislation on a specific topic within a given period, consult all eight proclamation books. Some of the books include an alphabetical subject index at the back, allowing you to find legislation on a particular topic even if you don’t know the exact date it was issued. This is the case for record numbers 2.1.4, 2.1.5, and 2.1.6. In these sections, there may also be a chronological index.

Until around 1800, the books were written in either Danish (Gothic script) or Dutch (Latin script). After 1800, they were written in Danish (Gothic script) or English (Latin script).

Police journals and police court protocols are distinct yet interconnected archival records from the colonial police authorities.

Police journals

Police journalsserve as daily logs, listing all incidents reported at a police station – such as slaves lodging complaints about mistreatment, bar brawls, or reports of dead dogs in the city. These journals provide insight into daily life, especially in urban areas, and reveal what was generally considered illegal or worthy of police intervention.

Police Court Protocols

Police Court Protocols are the next step in the judicial process. They are transcripts of what was said during interrogations in police court. These protocols offer insight into what both free people and slaves said when accused or testifying in court. They also show how local and central laws were interpreted and enforced. For example, a case of abuse reported by slaves and recorded in the police journal could later become a case in police court.

Police journals and police court protocols are organized separately but in the same manner. They are sorted geographically by island and then chronologically. Each police journal and protocol is also organized by case number, allowing for the tracking of a case when hearings extend over time.

The protocols are written in Danish (Gothic or Latin script).

The police authority was under the jurisdiction of the town or rural bailiff, so both police journals and police court protocols are typically archived under this authority. An exception is the police court protocols from Frederiksted, which were lost during the destruction of the police station in the city during the 1848 uprising. However, weekly transcripts of the police journal for Frederiksted from the years after 1827 are preserved in the archive of the West Indian Government.

The military had its own court system, and cases were recorded in the military justice records for St. Thomas and St. Croix (Christiansted and Frederiksted). These records provide insights into the offenses committed by military personnel and the issues affecting their daily lives. The records include details of the court proceedings, verdicts, and sentences.

The records are organized geographically by island and city, then chronologically within each protocol.

Each protocol is written in Danish (Gothic or Latin script).

The medical reports are annual submissions from the Royal District Physician (landfysikus) and all doctors in the colony to the Board of Health (Sundhedsstyrelsen) in Copenhagen.

These reports provide insights into health conditions, diseases, and the health system in the colony. They cover topics such as prevalent diseases among both enslaved individuals and free persons, efforts to combat diseases, the role of military and private doctors, hospitals, midwifery, pharmacies, vaccination against smallpox, and quarantine systems at the ports.

The reports are organized chronologically by year and then geographically by island. Each report includes an overall report from the district physician and appendices with reports from all doctors on the islands, both private and military.

The reports are written in Danish (Gothic or Latin script) or English (Latin script).

Cases concerning the schools provide insights into education for children in both rural and urban areas from the abolition of slavery in 1848 until the sale of the islands to the USA in 1917.

These cases include various types of materials such as reports from school inspectors, submissions from local school commissions, documents related to local school legislation, and administrative matters between schools and the West Indian government.

The information covers a wide range of topics, from the number of children in classrooms and reading and class schedules to issues like land worker mothers failing to ensure their children attended rural schools.

The materials are written in Danish (Gothic or Latin script) and English (Latin script).

The cases are organized geographically under St. Croix and St. Thomas (including St. Jan) and then chronologically. The content of each box is not bound but loosely arranged by case categories.

Each case is assigned a case number, which refers to the West Indian Government’s protocol register A and the cases within this protocol. Additional information on the same cases can be found in these registers.