Samoa (Western and American): Difference between revisions

Oral legends: Pili’s four sons become rulers: '''Atua''', '''A`ana''', '''Tuamasaga''' and '''Tolufale'''.<br>950 Tongans conquer Samoa and rule until '''Tuna''','''''<i>Fata</i>'''''and '''Savea'''''<b>drove them from the country.</b>'''''Malietoa''(''brave warrior'') becomes a Matai title.<br>1000'''''<i>Faiga'''becomes Malietoa. He abandons cannibalism by not eating his son Polu. He gives his grand daughters titles. One becomes '''Gato`aitele''', and the other '''Tamasoali`i'''.<br>1550 A great woman named '''Nafanua</i> from Falealupo, Savai`i is the ruler and gains the Tafa`ifa title. The Samoan high chief married the daughter of the Tongan king. Their daughter, Salamasina, is adopted by So`oa`e, the widow of the high chief of Atua district. Salamasina also possesses royal Fijian and Tongan blood from her mother.<br>1700 Tupua becomes the progenitor of the Sa Tupua family, who has the right to kingship for 100 years.<br>1722 Dutchman Jacob Roggeveen trades in Samoa.<br>1768 Frenchman Antoine De Bougainville trades with Samoans.<br>1800 White traders begin to settle in Samoa.<br>1802 Malietoa Vai`inupo is appointed king after the death of King I`amafana. <br>1830 John Williams of the London Missionary Society brings Christianity to Samoa<br>1835 Methodists and London Missionary Society agree that Methodists will proselyte in Tonga and leave Samoa to the London Missionary Society.<br>1840 Malietoa Vai`inpo dies. Moli Malietoa, Tamasese, Tui-Aj`ana, and Mata`afa Tui-Atua contend for power.<br>1849 Willliam T. Pritchard sets up the first permanent store.<br>1855 Goddeffroy and sons of Germany establish a store.<br>1861 Maliatoa dies and his sons, Laupepa and Talavou battle over the Malietoa title.<br>1873 Peace is declared between Laupepa and Talavou. Colonel A. Steinberger of the USA helps the Samoans establish a government. Tupua Pule declares himself king. Alternating 4-year terms for each king begin.<br>1875 Steinberger becomes premier of ''Samoa.<br>''1880 Talavou dies. Laupepa becomes king, Tamasese Sa Tupua becomes vice-king, and Mata`afa Sa Tupua becomes prime minister. They wage a bloody war for power.<br>1860-89 Samoa exports cotton. Europeans purchase large amounts of land from Samoans. <br>1888 The LDS ''Samoan Mission ''was established.<br>1889 A devastating hurricane hits. German, British, and American warships sink. Malieatoa is crowned king of Samoa and Mata afa is given a high position. The land commission declares foreign land claims invalid and purchase of land outside Apia forbidden to non-Samoans. Robert Louis Stevenson moves to Samoa. Dies 5 years later and is buried on Mt. Vea.<br>1890 Wars occur between Malietoa Laupepa and Mata`afa.<br>1899 Laupepa’s son, Tanumafili is installed as king by force of foreign powers.<br>1899 USA, Great Britain and Germany agree to Western Samoa’s independence and neutrality. They set up a multi-government. Kingship is abolished in Samoa. 1900 Great Britain and Germany cede rights to the Islands east of 171 degrees west of Greenwich. Later, a few other islands are added. At present this is unincorporated territory of the United States. Western Samoa becomes a German protectorate and Heinrich Solf is governor for ten years. Workers migrate from Micronesia and Melanesia to help on plantations. Eastern Samoa (Tutuila and surrounding islands) become a U.S.A. protectorate.<br>1902 An LDS church and school are built in ''Pesega''. Mission headquarters moves there.<br>1903 Over 2 thousand Chinese laborers are imported to Samoa. The Samoan translation of the Book of Mormon becomes available.<br>1905 The volcano Matavanu on Savai`i erupts and the refugees move to two villages on Upolo.<br>1910 Dr. Eric Schultz is governor of Samoa and the Malietoa and Tupua families are given titles as counselors to the governor.<br>1914 Western Samoa is occupied by a New Zealand force during World War I. Colonel Robert Logan becomes Military Administrator.<br>1918 A deadly flu epidemic kills one-fifth of the Samoan population (approximately 8,000 people).<br>1920 New Zealand administers the islands because Germany loses the war. <br>1920s Schools are built in Sauniatu and Mapusaga. The chiefs of Taup`ele`ele decide to dismiss their minister and join the LDS Church. Land is purchased, a school built, and the Mormon village becomes known as '''Vaiola''' (''Living Waters''). <br>1923 Major George Richardson becomes administrator and dissension between him and Samoans begins.<br>1929 The Independence movement (Mau) becomes a political power.<br>1939 U.S. Marines establish airfields and a radio station in Eastern Samoa during World War II.<br>1951 American Samoa administered by the U.S.A. Department of the Interior instead of the Navy.<br>1954 A Constitutional convention is held to prepare Western Samoa for independence.<br>1958 Native Samoans carry out most of the LDS missionary work because of government restriction on non-native missionaries in the country. <br>1962 Western Samoa becomes an independent country, which renames itself the '''Independent State of Samoa'''. The First LDS stake is organized in Samoa in Apia.<br>1972 Samoa becomes the first country to be covered by Latter-day Saint stakes.<br>1976 First LDS area conference in Samoa.<br>1983 The Apia, Samoa LDS temple is dedicated.<br>2000 The LDS Church has one mission in Samoa. There are 16 stakes in Western Samoa with 58,000 members, and 6 stakes in American Samoa with 13,000 members.