American constitutional and "colonial" practices, within whose scope the Virgin
 Islands fall, have had far-reaching consequences for the nature and direction of this
 unincorporated tri-island territory's political and constitutional development.7 At the
 same time, though, it is to be expected that the territory's previous relationship with
 Denmark would have left some enduring marks on such development.

 Another influential factor is the insular nature of the territory. To the student of
 Virgin Islands history, and the observer of more contemporary events, the two sets of
 circumstances have combined to present the territory with a challenging set of
 problems. This is by no means a unique situation in the Caribbean. Similar factors
 have also, in twin-island states such as Trinidad and Tobago, and St. Christopher
 and Nevis, led to strains necessitating resort to special constitutional and political
 forms in attempts to overcome or mitigate them.8

 In keeping, then, with its history, there exist a number of documents which have
 featured prominently in the political and constitutional evolution of the Virgin Islands.
 Although the claim is sometimes heard that the territory does not have a constitution,
 and therefore needs to have such an instrument in place, it is obvious that this can
 only be true if a narrow definition of the term constitution is adopted. Generally, what is
 meant by such a claim is that the territory is not being governed by a document
 substantially crafted by persons belonging to the territory, who are qualified to do so.
 In much narrower and practical terms, the territory has in fact been governed by a
 number of documents and instruments. These may be regarded (collectively) as a
 constitution, and as important landmarks in the territory's constitutional evolution.

 Notably, the publisher of the first edition of the Virgin Islands Code referred to a
 number of documents of "historical significance to the Virgin Islands" which include
 ". .. the Danish Colonial Law of 1906; the 1916 Convention Between the United
 States and Denmark Providing for the Cession of the Danish West Indies and related
 documents; and the following Acts of Congress: Act of March 3, 1917; Organic Act of
 1936; and the Revised Organic Act of 1954 ..."9

 All of these contained rules by which the government of the Virgin Islands was
to be constituted and conducted. They are, therefore, to be regarded as part and
parcel of a constitution for the territory. They should also be seen in chronological
order, as progressively embodying the principle of more representative and
responsible government in response to increasing demands for popular participation
in the process of government.

 As in other situations, the issue of the constitutional development of the Virgin
Islands has been linked to that of an appropriate status for the territory. There is an
impressive collection of literature establishing this nexus, and a tendency to argue that
a determination of the status issue should precede the drafting of a constitution
appropriate for the circumstances of the territory. The series of constitutional
conventions, and the documents produced by them, are of importance in this regard, if