 <translate> Early inhabitants of the Virgin Islands included the Ciboney, Arawaks, and Island Caribs. The first documented Europeans to visit the islands arrived with Christopher Columbus. The islands were occupied by several nations over the next century, including England, the Dutch Republic, France, and Denmark. In 1733, the Danish West India Company purchased Saint Croix from the French and brought together Saint Thomas, Saint Croix, and Saint John as the Danish West Indies. Danish trading posts were set up on the islands, trading in sugar, slaves and other goods. Sugar cane cultivation was a major economic activity for many years, with slaves used as one of the labor sources. However, following increasing humanitarian awareness, laws against slavery and a slave rebellion in 1848, the governor Peter von Scholten officially freed the last slaves the same year. The islands were purchased from the Danish by the United States in 1917 under the Treaty of the Danish West Indies.

Answer this question based on the passage: when did the us acquire the virgin islands? Let's have some stream of consciousness first. <yor> Lára àwọn tó kọ́kọ́ ń gbé erékùṣù Virgin Islands ni àwọn Ciboney, Arawaks, àtàwọn Caribs tó ń gbé erékùṣù náà. Àwọn ará Yúróòpù àkọ́kọ́ tí wọ́n kọ àkọsílẹ̀ nípa wọn pé wọ́n lọ sí àwọn erékùṣù náà dé pẹ̀lú Christopher Columbus. Ní ọgọ́rùn-ún ọdún tó tẹ̀ lé e, ọ̀pọ̀ orílẹ̀-èdè ló gba àwọn erékùṣù náà, títí kan ilẹ̀ Gẹ̀ẹ́sì, orílẹ̀-èdè olómìnira Netherlands, ilẹ̀ Faransé àti Denmark. Lọ́dún 1733, Ẹgbẹ́ Òwò Oòrùn Íńdíà ti Denmark ra ìlú Saint Croix lọ́wọ́ àwọn ará Faransé, wọ́n sì kó Saint Thomas, Saint Croix, àti Saint John jọ gẹ́gẹ́ bí Ìpínlẹ̀ Danish West Indies. Wọ́n dá àwọn ibùdó ìṣòwò ilẹ̀ Denmark sílẹ̀ ní àwọn erékùṣù náà, wọ́n ń ṣòwò ṣúgà, ẹrú àti àwọn ọjà mìíràn. Ọ̀pọ̀ ọdún ni ọ̀gẹ̀dẹ̀ fi jẹ́ ọ̀kan lára àwọn ọ̀nà tí wọ́n ń gbà ṣòwò yìí. Àmọ́, lẹ́yìn tí àwọn èèyàn túbọ̀ wá mọ̀ pé àwọn ń ran àwọn èèyàn lọ́wọ́, tí àwọn ṣe òfin tí kò fàyè gba ìfiniṣẹrú, tí àwọn ẹrú sì ṣọ̀tẹ̀ lọ́dún 1848, gómìnà Peter von Scholten dá àwọn ẹrú tó kù sílẹ̀ lọ́dún yẹn. Orílẹ̀-èdè Amẹ́ríkà ra àwọn erékùṣù náà lọ́wọ́ àwọn ará Denmark lọ́dún 1917 lábẹ́ Àdéhùn Àwọn Ìpínlẹ̀ West Indies ti Denmark.  Dáhùn ìbéèrè yìí ní ìbámu pẹ̀lú àyọkà náà: ìgbà wo ni orílẹ̀-èdè Amẹ́ríkà gba àwọn erékùṣù Virgin? Ẹ jẹ́ ká kọ́kọ́ wo bí nǹkan ṣe rí lára wa. 