Senate Seeks Posthumous Pardon of Historic VI Freedom Fighter

Senators are seeking a posthumous pardon of Rothschild “Polly” Francis, a figurehead in the movement for self-determination for Virgin Islanders following the Territory’s transfer from Denmark to the United States in 1917.

Lawmakers unanimously voted in favor of Bill No. 34-0295, which petitions Governor Albert Bryan, Jr. to absolve Francis of questionable convictions that include libel, slander and embezzlement. The bill’s sponsor, Senator Alma Francis Heyliger, called Francis (no relation) a hero for his role as a local civil rights leader.

“Rothschild ‘Polly’ Francis is a hero according to local lore but remains a criminal according to official records,” said Sen. Francis Heyliger. “It’s overdue that we reflect the record of Francis with the intent of his character as a leader in local civil rights.”

Following the formal transfer of the Territory from Denmark to the United States, the federal government appointed the navy to administer the local law, which largely hinged on the previous tenets of Danish law. Francis emerged as an advocate for basic human rights for local Virgin Islanders and called for autonomy in its affairs. This pitted Francis against the government of the United States Navy, which chose to wage its war in court.

Francis was born in 1891 on the island of St. Thomas during the time of Danish colonial rule. A week before the United States entered World War I, the U.S. purchased the Territory from Denmark for $25 million. With its hands also full with a World War, the United States opted to keep the main tenets of Danish law in place and tasked the navy with upholding local law as a temporary measure.

During this time, Francis began to protest the naval administration’s treatment of the local black population and began to advocate for self-determination within the newly formed United States Virgin Islands. In addition to his work as a local community leader at the time, Francis went on to establish a publication dubbed The Emancipator.

Francis would document local cases of abuse while calling for self determination in The Emancipator, but his effort transcended his own publications and attracted the attention of national media, such as The New York Times where he would engage in debates with the local administration.

In 1924, the U.S. government, at the behest of the navy, filed criminal libel charges against Francis. Francis was denied a trial by Jury by Judge George Washington Williams on the grounds that the 6th amendment didn’t apply to unincorporated Territories. Francis was sentenced to 30 days in prison.

An appeals court ultimately overturned the conviction, but not before Francis published yet another article critical of Judge Williams. In response to the article, Francis received a $100 fine and 30-day prison sentence for contempt of court, which failed on appeal and failed to escalate to the Supreme Court of the United States. In 1926 and 1927, Francis would again be arrested and imprisoned under suspicious circumstances. In 1928, Francis would be declared a free man but left the Virgin Islands until his death in 1963.

Following the unanimous passage of Bill No. 34-0295, Sen. Francis Heyliger said that she sponsored the bill with the hopes of reversing a documented injustice against a local hero.

“If history is to repeat itself, then the stories of injustice suffered by the likes of righteous leaders such as Rothschild ‘Polly’ Francis should serve as parables for future leaders,” said Sen. Francis Heyliger. “In spite of aggressive injustice, ‘Polly’ Francis remained defiant and called for what is right. History should reflect that.”