Samoan crisis Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Samoan crisis

Part of Samoan Civil War

The sketch features the locations of the wrecked German and American ships.

Date	1887–1889
Location	Apia Harbour, Samoa, Pacific Ocean
Result	Both squadrons wrecked

Belligerents

United States

German Empire

Commanders and leaders

Lewis Kimberly

Frizze

Strength

1 sloop-of-war
1 steamer
1 gunboat 200 marines

3 gunboats 150 marines

Casualties and losses

62 killed
1 sloop-of-war sunk
1 steamer sunk
1 gunboat grounded

~73 killed
1 gunboat sunk
2 gunboats grounded

The British in the cruiser HMS Calliope participated as mediators, and the ship sustained fair damage.
Several merchant ships were also wrecked during the cyclone.

The Samoan crisis was a big disagreement between the United States, the German Empire (which was Germany at the time), and the British Empire (Great Britain). This happened from 1887 to 1889. They were all trying to gain control over the Samoan Islands during the First Samoan Civil War.

Why Samoa Was Important
The Standoff in Apia Harbour
- The Great Cyclone
- What Happened Next
What We Learned
Gallery
See also

Why Samoa Was Important

In 1878, the United States got a place to refuel their ships at a harbor called Pago Pago. This harbor is on the island of Tutuila. In return, the U.S. promised to help protect Samoa.

Meanwhile, Germany also wanted a special area at the harbor in Apia. This harbor is on the island of Upolu. Both countries saw Samoa as an important spot in the Pacific Ocean.

The Standoff in Apia Harbour

The main event involved warships from the U.S. Navy and the German Navy.

The U.S. Navy had three ships: the USS Vandalia, the USS Trenton, and the USS Nipsic.
The German Navy also had three ships: the SMS Adler, the SMS Eber, and the SMS Olga.

These six warships faced each other in Apia Harbour for several months. It was a tense situation. A British ship, the HMS Calliope, was also there, watching everything.

The Great Cyclone

The standoff ended in a surprising way. On March 15 and 16, 1889, a huge storm called the 1889 Apia cyclone hit the harbor. This powerful storm wrecked all six warships that were stuck there.

The British ship, Calliope, was the only one that managed to escape the harbor. It bravely sailed out into the open sea and survived the storm.

After the storm, a famous writer named Robert Louis Stevenson came to Samoa. He wrote about the terrible event, even though he wasn't there to see it happen.

What Happened Next

Later, another conflict called the Second Samoan Civil War happened. Germany, the United States, and Britain were all involved again. In the end, they signed an agreement called the Tripartite Convention of 1899. This agreement split the Samoan Islands into two parts: American Samoa and German Samoa.

What We Learned

Historian Walter LaFeber said that this event helped some Americans realize how important it was for their country to have influence and power in faraway places like the South Pacific. It showed them that expanding their reach was a big deal.

Gallery

An eyewitness drawing taken from a sketch by an officer on the Calliope.
SMS Adler, knocked over on the beach, 1889.
SMS Adler, view of her deck, 1889.
The wreck of SMS Adler, circa 1938
The wreck of USS Nipsic′
Wrecked ships in Apia Harbour. German gunboat SMS Eber is on the beach, the stern of USS Trenton is at the right, and the sunken USS Vandalia is alongside. SMS Adler is on her side in the center distance.
Wrecked vessels at Apia Harbour, Upolu, Samoa, during salvage efforts soon after the storm. The view looks about northward, with USS Trenton and the sunken USS Vandalia to the left and the beached German corvette Olga at right. The wreckage just off Trenton's stern may be from the German gunboat Eber, which was destroyed when she struck the harbor reef during the hurricane.
A view of the sunken USS Vandalia from the deck of USS Trenton.
Another angle of the wrecked warships.
Wrecked warships off Apia
Apia and the beach covered in driftwood and debris from the wrecked warships.
Salvaged guns from the wrecked American ships at Apia
A memorial at Mare Island Naval Yard for the Americans who were killed in the cyclone.
Illustrated London News for 27 April 1889; artist's conception of HMS Calliope being cheered on by the crew of USS Trenton as Calliope escapes from Apia Harbour. Calliope actually passed to the port of Trenton.

Samoan crisis facts for kids

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