Question

What was the justification for the U.S. acquisition of the Virgin Islands?

Answer 1

The US had always wanted to control the Virgin Islands; however the Dutch were reluctant to sell. During the submarine warfare of the First World War, the United States, fearied that the islands might be seized by Germany as a submarine base, and approached Denmark about buying them. After a few months of negotiations, a selling price of $25 million in United States gold coin was agreed (this is equivalent to $580 million in 2013 dollars).