J.H. Snider Comment: The best summary of the 3rd and 4th convention is: Gilmore, William C. “The Search for Constitutional Change in the US Virgin Islands.” (1984): 143-161. Although there are many brief summaries of the so-called 1st and 2nd conventions, including in Gilmore above, I was unable to find one with noteworthy detail.
The longest summary of the first four conventions as a set was provided by Megan Poinski writing for the Virgin Islands Daily News (see “New Summaries” below). Her articles excel on giving the spin USVI convention delegates, legislators, and the governor gave on what happened. That spin is valuable information and the type of information that is appropriate for a journalist to provide. But it should not be mistaken for a serious history–the type of history one would expect a historian rather than a journalist to provide–that would assess the true motives and causal forces behind the key political events.
A major obstacle to providing links to articles prior to the 4th convention is the lack of internet access to such articles. The media industry did not widely deploy the world wide web until the mid-1990s.
News Summaries–1st to 4th Conventions
Poinski, Megan, Definition of Virgin Islander, renegade delegate doomed fourth attempt, Virgin Islands Daily News, Nov. 1, 2007.*
Poinski, Megan, In 1977, Third Convention delegates find a balance but fail to unite the voters throughout the territory, Virgin Island Daily News, Nov. 1, 2007.*
Poinski, Megan, V.I.’s Road to Self-Governance: Second convention cultivates more ideas – but not enough public interest, Virgin Island Daily News, Oct. 31, 2007.
Poinski, Megan, V.I.’s Road to Self Governance: 1964 Constitutional Convention followed years of struggle, Virgin Island Daily News, Oct. 31, 2007.*
Golden, Arnold, Virgin Islands Needs a Constitutional Convention, VI Source Network, Aug. 10, 2004.
Lincoln, Shirley, CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS: WHAT’S GONE BEFORE, St. Croix Source, May 21, 2003.
V.I. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS: BACKGROUND, St. John Source, May 19, 2003.
News Reports–3rd and 4th Conventions
Virgin Islands Resoundingly Reject Fourth Draft Of A Constitution, New York Times, Nov. 5, 1981.
Vote in Virgin Islands Is Viewed as Setback For More Home Rule, New York Times, Nov. 5, 1981. March 8, 1979,
Federal Government
Hearing on the 4th Constitutional Convention, U.S. Senate, May 8, 1981. Includes “Proposed Constitution for the U.S. Virgin Islands, Fourth Constitutional Convention,” and “Section-by-section analysis of the Fourth Constitution of the Virgin Islands submitted by the Department of the Interior.”
Department of Justice Views on the Constitution Adopted by
the Constitutional Convention of the Virgin Islands, Sept. 9, 1980.