History of Samoa
[1] The oldest archaeological evidence found on the islands of Polynesia, Samoa and Tonga all date from around that same period, suggesting that the first settlement occurred around the same time in the region as a whole.
Little is known about human activity in the islands between 750 BC and 1000 AD, though this may have been a period of mass migrations that led to the settlement of present-day Polynesia.
Intermarriage between Tongan and Fijian royalty and Samoan nobility helped build close relationships between these island nations that still exist today.
Her niece, Salamasina, continued this system, and their era is considered to be a golden age of Samoan cultural traditions.
The United States Exploring Expedition (1838–42) under Charles Wilkes reached Samoa in 1839 and appointed an Englishman, John C. Williams, son of the missionary, as acting U.S.
British business enterprises, harbour rights, and consulate office were the basis on which Britain had cause to intervene in Samoa.
In the 1880s Great Britain, Germany and the United States all claimed parts of the kingdom of Samoa, and established trade posts.
These involved the three great powers battling for control of Samoa - America, Germany and Britain - and the indigenous factions which were all jockeying for complete political authority.
He was convinced that the European officials appointed to rule the Samoans were incompetent, and after many futile attempts to resolve the matter, he published A Footnote to History.
[9] According to a war correspondent associated with the Auckland Star newspaper, the aftermath saw Mata'afa's warriors leaving American and British corpses on the field being severed of their heads.
[10] Germany, Britain and the United States quickly resolved to end the hostilities by partitioning the island chain at the Tripartite Convention of 1899.
[3] With Tanu and his American and British allies' inability to defeat him in war, the Tripartite resulted in Mata'afa being promoted to Ali'i Si'i, the high chief of Samoa.
[9] The Samoa Tripartite Convention of 1899, a joint commission of three members composed of Bartlett Tripp for the United States, C. N. E. Eliot, C.B.
[3] In exchange for Britain ceding claims in Samoa, Germany transferred their protectorates in the North Solomon Islands and other territories in West Africa.
The Mau movement began in 1908 with the 'Mau a Pule' resistance on Savai'i, led by orator chief Lauaki Namulau'ulu Mamoe.
[2] World War I broke out in August 1914, and soon after, New Zealand sent an expeditionary force to seize and occupy German Samoa.
The American Samoa population was largely spared this devastation, due to vigorous efforts of its governor, John Martin Poyer.
The leaders of the Mau and other Samoan critics of the administration of Samoa were sent into exile in New Zealand, including Olaf Frederick Nelson.
[14] Samoa's first prime minister following independence was paramount chief Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II.
[19] Two members of American Samoa's legislature traveled to Apia in September 1997 to meet with Samoan head of State Malietoa Tanumafili II, and lobbied to have the name change reversed in order to maintain peace and good relations.
[19] In 2002, New Zealand's prime minister Helen Clark formally apologized for two incidents during the period of New Zealand's administration: a failure in 1918 to quarantine the SS Talune, which carried the Spanish flu to Samoa, leading to an epidemic which devastated the Samoan population, and the shooting of leaders of the non-violent Mau movement during a ceremonial procession in 1929.
Samoa's current head of state is His Highness Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II, who was anointed the head of state title with the unanimous endorsement of Samoa's Parliament, a symbol of traditional Samoan protocol in alignment with Samoan decision-making stressing the importance of consensus in the 21st century.
Fiamē's FAST party narrowly won the election, ending the rule of long-term Prime Minister Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi.
[21] In August 2022, Samoa’s Legislative Assembly reappointed Tuimaleali’ifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II as the Head of State for a second term of five years.
[22] As European traders began commercial (and later domination) activities in the Samoan Islands, they imposed their datekeeping system on their transactions.
