History of American Samoa

HISTORY OF AMERICAN SAMOA

The Samoa Islands, strategically located halfway between Honolulu and Sydney in the United States is a well-known field of strategic interests and economic interests. In addition, it is well known to represent the microcosm for the long antiquity of U.S colonialism in the Pacific. However, based on naval intelligence reports, presidential speeches, strategy papers, and newspaper articles the U.S decision-makers regarded the South Pacific as an important trade region and a projection of military and political power. The naval station in Pago Pago resulted from this growing interests. American Samoa remained an unincorporated territory of the united states since 1899, they are believed to have fought against the reductive perceptions from the imposing center which, ever since takeover, was more interested in the islands’ strategic location than in the livelihoods of their populations. Likewise, the U.S Navy Commander Richard Meade talked a settlement with Samoan chiefs that guaranteed the right to build a coaling position in Pago Pago on the eastern island of Tutuila.

Notably, an ideological consensus begun in the 1880s among U.S, businessmen, and politicians who argued that colonies acquisition was essential to protect U.S trading and shipping interests in the Pacific. In addition, Real-Admiral and Naval professor Alfred Thayer Maham enclosed the mercantilists imperialism, pointing out to Americans to begin to look outward. However, William F. Draper a Massachusets Republican representative argues in the 1890s that with appropriate fleet and bases in Hawai’i and Samoa, the United States would hold Pacific as an American Ocean, conquered by American commercial enterprise for all time.

The Pacific was seen as a Marketable and Heroic initiative space for U.S. entrepreneurs, missionaries, and explores. Old Navy commanders such as Robert Shufeldt approached the Pacific as an exciting space. In addition, few Americans saw the exotic and strange peoples they met in the Pacific as their equals.

Conclusively, American minorities such as Samoa living in U.S territories were denied citizenship as well as voting rights. They were seen to be only nationals hence they could not vote for their president due to loss of identification, or restriction because they are alien races and could not understand Anglo Saxon laws. Similarly, Puerto Rico was also affected despite having many citizens.  

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