Anna Heegaard, a mixed-race woman born in 1790 in St. Croix (a slave colony of Denmark), was the daughter of a native white Dane and a "free mulatto woman."
Heegaard's mother, abandoned by Heegaard's father, raised Anna with the help of family. Eventually Anna's mother married a white Danish shopkeeper creating a stable family life for Anna.
At 19, Anna embarked on a series of relationships with white Danes who provided her with varying degrees of security. Her long-term relationship with Admiral H.C. Knudsen afforded her new wealth and she eventually bought a house. As a free woman of color, she also owned 15 slaves.
Anna is known historically because of her relationship with Governor-General Peter Von Scholten. Von Scholten arrived in St. Croix in 1827. Von Scholten and Anna began a love affair that seems to be based on mutual respect. Anna, who served as Von Scholten's official hostess greeting dignitaries to their shared home, continually expressed concern about the situation of the free-coloreds, as well as the plantation slaves. Von Scholten agreed with Anna's views and expressed his concerns to the King of Denmark. The government tried to draft a compromise that would appease the plantation owners. The plan would phase out slavery over the next few decades. But the conditions on the plantations were growing worse, and the enslaved would not wait. In 1848, rioting broke out. As Frederiksted was burning, Von Scholten issued a declaration abolishing slavery immediately.
Von Scholten was recalled to Denmark eventually. Presumably returning to his white Danish wife. Anna died in 1859 in St. Croix. Her gravestone--covered under brush for years--was cleared recently and now serves as an important historical site.
More information: Peter Von Scholten (Danish film with subtitles) ; Danish West Indies. (I'm currently working on a novel inspired by Anna Heegaard's life. Stay tuned.)
