SINT EUSTATIUS (ORANJESTAD) - On 16 November 2026, Statia will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the First Salute to the United States as part of Statia Day, the island’s annual celebration.
In the same year that the United States celebrates 250 years of independence, Statia will honour its own place in that history with a special programme from 10–16 November, under the theme “The Statia Spirit Perseveres, Saluting 250 Years.”
On 16 November 1776, the American brig Andrew Doria entered Statia’s harbour and fired a salute. Governor Johannes de Graaff ordered Fort Oranje to answer.
That deliberate reply from Fort Oranje became known as the First Salute to the United States and gave Statia a lasting place in the history of the American Revolution.
The significance of the First Salute has been recognised by successive U.S. presidents. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented Statia with a commemorative plaque recognising the salute of 1776; it remains at Fort Oranje today. In 1991, President George H. W. Bush described the salute as the “first ever given by a foreign power to the flag of the United States.”
From 10–15 November, Statia will host evening celebrations on Fort Oranjestraat. The programme opens with Roots & Rhythms – Stories Under the Stars, followed by Gospel Night, Youth Night, Diamond Waterfall, Culture Night and All White on the Rock. On 16 November, the main Statia Day event will take place at Fort Oranje, where the First Salute was returned 250 years ago.
Statia Day 2026 also marks 22 years since the island adopted its flag and established its coat of arms in 2004. The coat of arms tells Statia’s story across time, the Golden Rock represents the past, Fort Oranje the present and the angelfish the future. Its motto, Superba et Confidens, 'Proud and Confident' reflects an island proud of its past and confident in its future.
The Golden Rock was more than a symbol of Statia’s past. In the eighteenth century, Statia became one of the Caribbean’s busiest and most important trading hubs, with ships, merchants and goods moving through its harbour from across the Atlantic world. Arms, gunpowder and other vital supplies also passed through the island to the American revolutionaries, giving Statia an important role in the struggle for American independence.
That history has reached new audiences in 2026. In April, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History opened The First Salute: An Untold Story of the American Revolution on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, bringing renewed attention to Statia’s role in the American Revolution.
Hundreds of visitors from across the region and abroad are expected to travel to Statia for the 250th anniversary and experience the commemoration on the island where the First Salute took place.
For residents and visitors, 16 November 2026 will be a historic occasion unlike any other Statia Day in living memory. Exactly 250 years later, Statia will mark the First Salute to the United States at Fort Oranje, where it happened.
Statia Island Governor Her Excellency Alida Francis
