Download or read book The First and Only Crossing written by Lomarsh Roopnarine and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This article examines the first and only ship load of indentured Indians to the Danish West Indian island of St. Croix between 1863 and 1868. The article shows why Indians were recruited, how they were shipped and documents their Caribbean indentured and post-indentured plantation experience. The argument is that although inentured Indians were one segment of the post-emancipation Virgin Islands labour force, their entrance into St. Croix demonstrates the Danish government's desire and confidence to rely on labour from India to resolve the labour shortage. However, the abuse of Indians led to the collapse of the indenture system on St. Croix. Unlike in the British, Dutch and French Caribbean, Indian indenture was never resumed on Danish St. Croix."--(Abstract: p. [131]).