American Samoa
 

Adopted 17 Apr 1900

Adopted 24 Apr 1960

Map of American Samoa Hear National Anthem "The Star Spangled Banner" Hear Local Anthem "Amerika Samoa" Adopted 1950 Constitution (1 Jul 1967) Capital: Pago Pago  Currency: U.S. Dollar (USD) National Holiday: 4 Jul (1776) U.S. Independence Day ----------------------------------- Local Holiday: 16 Jul (1904) Manu'a Cession Day Population: 68,061 (2011)  GDP: $703 million (2009) Exports: $536 million (2009) Imports: $537 million (2009) Ethnic Groups: Samoan (Polynesian) 88.2%, Tongan  2.8%, Caucasian 1.2%, Asian 2.9%, mixed 2.8%, other 0.2% (2000) Total Active Armed Forces: 200 (2012) Defense is the Responsibility of the U.S. Merchant Marine: None (2010) Religions: Protestant 38% (of which Christian Congregationalist 21%),  Mormon 19%, Roman Catholic 15%, other and non-religious 28% (2005) International Organizations/Treaties: AOSIS (observer), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, PC, UPU American Samoa Index Chronology 13 Jun 1722                Samoa discovered by Dutch Capt. Jacob Roggeveen,                              Rose Atoll is named Vuyle Eilandt (Foul Island,                              often mistranslated as Bird Island).  5 May 1768                Revisited by French Capt. Louis-Antoine de                               Bougainville, named Iles Navigateurs (Navigator                              Islands). 21 Oct 1819                French Capt. Louis de Freycinet resights and                              renames Vuyle Eylandt as Rose Island.  2 Nov 1871                New Zealand government recommends British                               annexation of the Samoa Islands.  2 Mar 1872                U.S. Commander Richard Meade on U.S.S. Narragansett                              signs a treaty  granting the U.S. a coaling                              station in Pago Pago. 13 Feb 1878                U.S. Treaty of Friendship with Tutuila and Aunu'u                              Islands.  5 Nov 1884                King and Vice-King of Samoa petition Queen Victoria                              to make Samoa a British colony. 14 Jul 1889                Tripartite German-UK-U.S. protectorate                              (see Samoa). 17 Feb 1900 - 29 Jun 1951  Administered by the U.S. Navy. 17 Apr 1900                Tutuila and Aunu'u Islands ceded to United                               States by local chiefs (American Samoa). 16 Jul 1904                Manu'a Islands (Manu'a, Ofu, Ta'u, etc.) and                              Rose Atoll ceded to United States.  2 Apr 1909                The Tui Manu`a lineage becomes extinct. 17 Jul 1911                U.S. Naval Station Tutuila renamed American Samoa.  4 Mar 1925                Swains Island annexed by U.S. 20 Feb 1929                U.S. Congress formally accepts the cession of                               Tutuila and Manu'a by their chiefs, with                              retroactive effect to 16 Jul 1904. 29 Jun 1951                Administered by U.S. Department of Interior. 22 Apr 1960                Autonomy Swains Island (1856-1925)

Paramount chiefs (title Tui Manu`a)
c.1828                     Taalolomana Fanaese
c.1836                     Tauveve
c.1888                     Tauilima Alalamua
 1 Jul 1891 - 29 Oct 1895  Matelita (f)                       (b. 1872? - d. 1895)
1899 -  2 Apr 1909         Elisara                            (b. 18.. - d. 1909)
Commandants
17 Feb 1900 - 27 Nov 1901  Benjamin Franklin Tilley           (b. 1848 - d. 1907) 
27 Nov 1901 - 16 Dec 1902  Uriel Sebree                       (b. 1848 - d. 1922) 
16 Dec 1902 -  5 May 1903  Henry Minett (acting)              (b. 1857 - d. 1952) 
 5 May 1903 - 30 Jan 1905  Edmund Beardsley Underwood         (b. 1853 - d. 1928)
Governors
30 Jan 1905 - 21 May 1908  Charles Brainard Taylor Moore      (b. 1853 - d. 1923) 
21 May 1908 - 10 Nov 1910  John Frederick Parker              (b. 1853 - d. 1911)
10 Nov 1910 - 14 Mar 1913  William Michael Crose              (b. 1867 - d. 1929) 
14 Mar 1913 - 14 Jul 1913  Nathan Woodworth Post (1st time)   (b. 1881 - d. 1938) 
                             (acting)
14 Jul 1913 -  2 Oct 1914  Clark Daniel Stearns               (b. 1870 - d. 1944) 
 2 Oct 1914 -  6 Dec 1914  Nathan Woodworth Post (2nd time)   (s.a.) 
                             (acting)
 6 Dec 1914 -  1 Mar 1915  Charles Armijo Woodruff (acting)   (b. 1884 - d. 1945) 
 1 Mar 1915 - 10 Jun 1919  John Martin Poyer                  (b. 1861 - d. 1922) 
10 Jun 1919 -  3 Nov 1920  Warren Jay Terhune                 (b. 1869 - d. 1920) 
11 Nov 1920 -  1 Mar 1922  Waldo A. Evans                     (b. 1869 - d. 1936) 
 1 Mar 1922 -  4 Sep 1923  Edwin Taylor Pollock               (b. 1870 - d. 1943)
 4 Sep 1923 - 17 Mar 1925  Edward Stanley Kellogg             (b. 1870 - d. 1948) 
17 Mar 1925 -  9 Sep 1927  Henry Francis Bryan                (b. 1865 - d. 1944)
 9 Sep 1927 -  2 Aug 1929  Stephen Victor Graham              (b. 1874 - d. 19..) 
 2 Aug 1929 - 24 Mar 1931  Gatewood Sanders Lincoln           (b. 1875 - d. 1957) 
                             (1st time) 
24 Mar 1931 - 22 Apr 1931  James Sutherland Spore (acting)    (b. 1885 - d. 1937) 
22 Apr 1931 - 17 Jul 1931  Arthur Tenney Emerson (acting)     (b. 1893 - d. 1975) 
17 Jul 1931 - 12 May 1932  Gatewood Sanders Lincoln           (s.a.) 
                             (2nd time) 
12 May 1932 - 10 Apr 1934  George Bertram Landenberger        (b. 1879 - d. 1936) 
10 Apr 1934 - 17 Apr 1934  Thomas Calloway Latimore (acting)  (b. 1890 - d. 1942) 
17 Apr 1934 - 15 Jan 1936  Otto Carl Dowling                  (b. 1887 - d. 1946) 
15 Jan 1936 - 20 Jan 1936  Thomas Benjamin Fitzpatrick        (b. 1896 - d. 1974) 
                             (acting)
20 Jan 1936 -  3 Jun 1938  MacGillivray Milne                 (b. 1882 - d. 1959) 
26 Jun 1938 - 30 Jul 1940  Edward William Hanson              (b. 1889 - d. 1959) 
30 Jul 1940 -  8 Aug 1940  Jesse Rink Wallace (acting)        (b. 1899 - d. 1961) 
 8 Aug 1940 -  5 Jun 1942  Laurence Wild                      (b. 1890 - d. 1971)
17 Jan 1942 - 25 Apr 1942  Henry Louis Larsen                 (b. 1890 - d. 1962)
                             (military governor)
28 Apr 1942 -  1 Mar 1944  Charles F.B. Price                 (b. 1881 - d. 1954)
                             (military force commander)
 5 Jun 1942 -  8 Feb 1944  John Gould Moyer                   (b. 1893 - d. 1976)
 8 Feb 1944 - 27 Jan 1945  Allen Hobbs                        (b. 1899 - d. 1960) 
27 Jan 1945 -  3 Sep 1945  Ralph Waldo Hungerford             (b. 1896 - d. 1977) 
 3 Sep 1945 - 10 Sep 1945  Samuel Wakefield Canan (acting)    (b. 1898 - d. 1964)
10 Sep 1945 - 22 Apr 1947  Harold Alexander Houser            (b. 1897 - d. 1981) 
22 Apr 1947 - 15 Jun 1949  Vernon Huber                       (b. 1899 - d. 1967) 
 7 Jul 1949 - 23 Feb 1951  Thomas Francis Darden, Jr.         (b. 1900 - d. 1961) 
23 Feb 1951 - 20 Jun 1952  Phelps Phelps                      (b. 1897 - d. 1981) 
16 Jul 1952 - 23 Nov 1952  John C. Elliott                    (b. 1919 - d. 2001)
28 Nov 1952 -  4 Mar 1953  James Arthur Ewing
 4 Mar 1953 -  5 Aug 1953  Lawrence M. Judd                   (b. 1887 - d. 1968)
 1 Oct 1953 - 15 Oct 1956  Richard Barrett Lowe               (b. 1902 - d. 1972)
15 Oct 1956 - 24 May 1961  Peter Tali Coleman (1st time)      (b. 1919 - d. 1997)  Rep
24 May 1961 - 31 Jul 1967  Hyrum Rex Lee (1st time)           (b. 1910 - d. 2001)  Dem
 1 Aug 1967 - 31 Jul 1969  Owen Stuart Aspinall               (b. 1927 - d. 1997)  Dem
 1 Aug 1969 - 14 Oct 1974  John Morse Haydon                  (b. 1920)            Rep 
15 Oct 1974 -  6 Feb 1975  Frank C. Mockler (acting)          (b. 1909 - d. 1993)  Rep
 6 Feb 1975 - 30 Sep 1976  Earl Baker Ruth                    (b. 1916 - d. 1989)  Rep 
 1 Oct 1976 - 27 May 1977  Frank Barnett                                           Dem
28 May 1977 -  3 Jan 1978  Hyrum Rex Lee (2nd time)           (s.a.)               Dem 
 3 Jan 1978 -  3 Jan 1985  Peter Tali Coleman (2nd time)      (s.a.)               Rep
 3 Jan 1985 -  2 Jan 1989  Lutali Aifili Paulo Lauvao         (b. 1919 - d. 2002)  Dem
                             (1st time) 
 2 Jan 1989 -  3 Jan 1993  Peter Tali Coleman (3rd time)      (s.a.)               Rep
 3 Jan 1993 -  3 Jan 1997  Lutali Aifili Paulo Lauvao         (s.a.)               Dem
                             (2nd time) 
 3 Jan 1997 - 26 Mar 2003  Tauese Pita Fiti Sunia             (b. 1941 - d. 2003)  Dem
26 Mar 2003 -  3 Jan 2013  Togiola Talalelei A. Tulafono      (b. 1947)            Dem
                             (acting to 7 Apr 2003)
 3 Jan 2013 -              Lolo Letalu Matalasi Moliga                             Ind

Party abbreviations: Dem = Democratic Party (liberal); Ind = Independent; Rep = Republican Party (conservative)

Territorial Dispute: Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island as Olohega among the islands listed in its 2006 draft constitution.

 

Map of Swains Island

Population: 99 (1930), 164 (1950), 37 (2005)

 2 Mar 1606                Discovered by Spanish Capt. Pedro Fernandes de Queirós and
                             named Isla de la Gente Hermosa.
 1 Feb 1841                Resighted by U.S. Capt. William H. Hudson aboard the Peacock
                             and named Swains Island.
13 Oct 1856                Semi-independent proprietary settlement founded by the
                             American Jennings family (often called Jennings Island). 
1907                       Claimed by British Resident Commissioner of Gilbert Islands.
1909                       Britain recognizes the U.S. claim.
 4 Mar 1925                Annexed to American Samoa.
1954                       Local government instituted by American Samoa. However, the
                             proprietary rights of Jennings family are acknowledged.
25 Mar 1981                New Zealand confirms U.S. sovereignty.
19 Feb 2006                Claimed by Tokelau in its draft constitution as Olohega Island.

Leaders (Proprietors)
13 Oct 1856 -  4 Dec 1878  Eli Hutchinson Jennings            (b. 1814 - d. 1878)
 4 Dec 1878 - 25 Oct 1891  Malia Jennings (f)                 (d. 1891)
25 Oct 1891 - 24 Oct 1920  Eli Hutchinson Jennings, Jr.       (b. 1863 - d. 1920)
                            "King Jennings" 
24 Oct 1920 - Aug 1921     Ann Eliza Jennings Carruthers (f)  (b. 1897 - d. 1921)
                           - jointly with -
24 Oct 1920 - 1940's       Alexander Hutchinson Jennings      (b. 1897? - d. 1940's)
1940's - 1958              Alexander Eli Jennings             (d. 1958)