Rothschild Francis
Rothschild "Polly" Francis was a self-educated activist in the Virgin Islands. He fought for rights in the press, citizenship for Virgin Islanders, and racial equality. To advance these goals he created a newspaper, The Emancipator, spoke in front of a Senate Committee, and engaged in civil disobedience. His influence still has a large impact on the U.S. Virgin Islands today.
Rothschild Francis was born in 1891 in Saint Thomas of the Virgin Islands while they were under the control of Denmark. He lived there through the U.S. acquisition of the Virgin Islands, moved to New York in 1931, and died in 1963. He created The Emancipator in 1921, a newspaper which pushed for social justice and civil liberties in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Life
Early years
Rothschild Francis was born in the Danish Virgin Islands in 1891. He witnessed the purchase of the islands by the United States from Denmark and, being an enthusiast of the United States Constitution and the Founding Fathers, was excited for his people to become a part of the nation. Unfortunately, Rothschild Francis would soon witness and become subject to racial discrimination, hatred, and inequality that the United States military government brought with them. He soon realized that U.S. politicians had no intention of giving the Virgin Islanders full citizenship. He refused to give up his faith in the political ideals of the U.S. Constitution and Founding Fathers – a theme which would continue throughout his life.Activism
Francis' first direct confrontation with the U.S. Naval government in the Virgin Islands took place when he won a seat on the Colonial Council of the Virgin Islands. One of his first actions was to write a resolution requesting the removal of the naval government. Francis constantly pointed out the hypocrisy of American rulers in the islands, claiming that they rarely kept to the Constitution which they held so dear. His ardent support of the Constitution, as well as other traditional and foundational American ideals, alienated him from many of the mainland civil rights advocates of his day. He did have friends, W.E.B. Dubois being one of the most well-known. He also worked with Virgin Islanders in New York. Nevertheless, between difficulties gaining supporters on the Virgin Islands and his political disagreements with other activists, he often found himself working alone.Rothschild Francis focused a great deal on ensuring an entirely civil government in the Virgin Islands, often more than ending racism, at least in the beginning. Part of the reason for this was because he did not see as much racism as mainland activists, at least not until after the naval government was instituted. He steadfastly believed that through the correct application of democracy – racism, and racial hatred, would die out. Many of his arguments were focused on political hypocrisy, and the whole Constitution, rather than civil rights exclusively. As time went on, his perspective widened, and his arguments considered the massive obstacle racism presented to true democracy.
In his quest for rights, Francis clashed frequently with American officials, none more so than George Washington Williams, a naval judge on the islands. These clashes increased Francis's understanding of the American racial situation as the two went head-to-head in court, in letters published in newspapers, and over every civil issue conceivable. In an incident involving a police officer and Francis’ newspaper, Francis was sent to jail by Williams, after being denied a trial by jury. The American Civil Liberties Union appealed his case, and Williams’ decision was promptly overturned, although he would soon send Francis to jail again in another dispute.
Self-exile and death
Williams retained too much power over Francis for Francis’ comfort. This power resulted in Francis being dragged in and out of jail on trumped up charges for years, until he eventually left the Virgin Islands for New York City in 1931. He would never return. He died in 1963, having been absent from the public eye for decades. However, he made a great impact on Virgin Islanders, an impact still recognized today.United States Navy rule on Virgin Islands
Rothschild Francis is mainly recognized for his efforts in fighting back against U.S. Naval rule practices in the U.S. Virgin Islands that negatively affected African-Americans. He lived during the transition from Danish to American rule and focused on civil rights activism during this time period.Beginning of U.S. Navy rule on Virgin Islands
The United States acquired the Danish West Indies in 1917 during World War I in order to establish a stronger naval presence in the Caribbean area. Due to the military motivations behind the purchase of the islands, the United States Navy established a government. While this was meant to be a temporary installment, the naval government remained intact following the end of the war. The main focus of the island's U.S. leaders was economic reform through education, private enterprises, and tourism.Admiral James Harrison Oliver was named as the first United States Governor of the Virgin Islands in 1917 and served in this capacity until 1919. During his two years as Governor, Oliver mainly focused on the improvement of education throughout the islands. Although the total population of the islands decreased over the first ten years of U.S. rule, total public school enrollment and total expenditures for public schools increased in large margins. The results of the increased funding proved successful as Virgin Island student tested at a much higher level than African American students in the Southern United States."