Rothschild Francis
Unfortunately, Rothschild Francis would soon witness and become subject to racial discrimination, hatred, and inequality that the United States military government brought with them.
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.
[1] 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.
[1] In his quest for rights, Francis clashed frequently with American officials, none more so than George Washington Williams, a naval judge on the islands.
[1] 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.
[4][3][1] The American Civil Liberties Union appealed his case,[2] and Williams’ decision was promptly overturned, although he would soon send Francis to jail again in another dispute.
This power resulted in Francis being dragged in and out of jail on trumped up charges for years,[1] until he eventually left the Virgin Islands for New York City in 1931.
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.
"[6] Rothschild Francis was in support of the educational funding and health improvements made by U.S. Navy rule, and even addressed this in an appearance before the United States Senate Committee on Territories and Insular Possessions in March of 1924, but he believed that the islands should be run by a civil government, and not a military one.
[1] Francis said in that meeting, “When our children get this beautiful education they are getting able also to raise their voices in protest against the system that allows aliens to still have control of the country where we are born.
Francis became well-known, for good and bad, among Virgin Islanders through his editorials he regularly published which attacked local military and political leaders.
[2] As Francis garnered increased notice, governmental authorities started mentioning him and fellow instigators in their communications to the President of the United States.
In return, Francis wrote to President Calvin Coolidge in 1923 saying, "Politically we are peons...our people are without voice in the government that they form a part.
The sentencing came in response to an article posted in The Emancipator where Francis added a personal statement to the end of an incident summary involving local police claiming, "How long O Justice!
A Police Commission was held soon after where after a month of questioning the defendant, Captain Henry Hughes Hough signed an order of deportation.
"[1] Recognizing the racial challenges confronting Virgin Islanders, he maintained the conviction that democratic empowerment held the key to addressing these issues.
