Captains, consuls, and kings: the influence of U.S. naval officers on Hawai‘i, 1826-1851

Peebler, Anthony Ellis

Publication

Captains, consuls, and kings: the influence of U.S. naval officers on Hawai‘i, 1826-1851

Peebler, Anthony Ellis

Date

2022-09-09

Abstract

American missionaries and merchants made their way to the Hawaiian Islands in the early nineteenth century, establishing a significant economic and religious presence. In 1826, the United States tasked the U.S. Navy with protecting these civilians. Over the next twenty-five years, The U.S. Navy strengthened the American presence in Hawai‘i through law enforcement against maritime deserters, diplomacy with the Hawaiian Kingdom, and dispute resolution between Hawaiians and multiple American groups. U.S. naval officers built rapport with the Hawaiian government and created a culture of trust. In the 1840s and 1850s, British and French attempts to annex the Hawaiian Islands caused Hawai‘i to look to the United States for protection. Using the implication of force, supported by the “Tyler Doctrine,” the U.S. Navy successfully defended Hawaiian independence. These actions enabled the American missionary and merchant communities to expand their influence in Hawai‘i, setting the stage for Hawaiian annexation four decades later.