Emancipation Garden, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

After you visit the shops in downtown Charlotte Amalie, be sure to stop by the Emancipation Garden park for a break. It's located behind Vendors Plaza at the east end of the shopping district. It was built to commemorate the freeing of the slaves in the Virgin Islands on July 3, 1848. The Virgin Islands Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Peter von Scholten, the Danish governor at that time. That was more than 14 years before Lincoln issued the American Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862.

Emancipation Garden contains a statue of a freed slave blowing a conch shell, and it has become a tradition to mark the anniversary every July 3, Emancipation Day in the US Virgin Islands, by blowing a conch shell in the garden. The park also contains a scaled down model of the Liberty Bell and a bronze bust of Denmark's King Christian, monuments demonstrating the American - Danish connection.

There are shade trees and benches scattered throughout the park and it's a nice place to take a break from a busy shopping trip or walking tour of downtown. The gazebo in Emancipation Garden is the site of several official government ceremonies throughout the year, occasional lunchtime concerts, as well as the "Battle of the Choirs" on Christmas Morning.

Emancipation Garden is located just north of Vendor's Plaza at the east end of the shopping district of Charlotte Amalie, which is next to Fort Christian.

For more information on Emancipation Garden in downtown Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, visit: http://island-showcase.com/emancipation-garden.html

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