Controversy of 1889

The Navy's history in American Samoa dates back to Oct. 10, 1839 when Lt. Charles Wilkes first sailed into Pago Pago Harbor, island of Tutuila, aboard USS Vincennes as part of the U.S. exploration expedition. On March 2, 1872 a treaty was signed by Paramount Chief Mauga granting coaling station construction privileges in Pago Pago Harbor.

A controversey involving the U.S., Great Britain, and Germanhy over the Samoan Islands in the Pacific ocean threatened to break out into armed conflict. In 1889 warships of the three nations converged in the region, reflecting the three powers' interest in the civil war being fought on the islands. A showdown among the naval vessels in the harbor of Apia was averted only when a fierce storm destroyed all the warships except one English vessel. On April 29 a conference opened in Berlin, and on June 14 the three nations agreed on a treaty that provided for a three-power protectorate to guarantee Samoan independence. Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago. The US formally occupied its portion?a smaller group of eastern islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago?the following year.

On April 17, 1900 the U.S. flag was raised for the first time over Fagatogo and the document officially creating the American Samoa territory was read.