Samuel Hill (sea captain) facts for kids

Samuel Hill (born February 20, 1777 – died September 1, 1825) was an American merchant sea captain and explorer. He was known for leading many long voyages to distant parts of the world.

As one of the first people involved in the maritime fur trade, he helped rescue John R. Jewitt, who had been held captive by the Nuu-chah-nulth chief Maquinna. Samuel Hill was the first American to live in Japan. He almost met the famous Lewis and Clark explorers near Fort Clatsop and even received a letter from them. He also hosted King Kamehameha of the Hawaiian Kingdom on his ship. Hill was involved in the Chilean War of Independence, and was held by the British during the War of 1812. He also helped people who were attacked by pirates in the Malay Archipelago. He led a very adventurous life, though some people found him difficult to work with.

Early Life and First Voyages

Samuel Hill was born on February 20, 1777, in Machias, Maine. This was during the American Revolutionary War. Machias was a small port town and a target for the British navy. The people of Machias had won a battle against the British in 1775. Shortly after Hill was born, the British attacked Machias again in 1777, but were driven away.

Samuel Hill captained many ships on his voyages. These included the Lydia (1804–1807), which sailed to the Pacific Northwest and China. He also commanded the Otter (1809–1812), traveling to Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and China. Later, he captained the Ulysses (1813–1814) as a privateer during the War of 1812. Other ships he commanded were the Ophelia (1815–1817) and the Packet (1817–1822), both sailing to Chile, Hawaii, and China. Some of his trips were circumnavigations, meaning he sailed all the way around the world. Before becoming a captain, he also served on other ships, like the Franklin, which went to Japan from 1798 to 1800.

Adventures on the Lydia (1804–1807)

His first time as a captain was on the ship Lydia. This ship was owned by a company in Boston. Some of his crew members and other captains wrote in their journals about how strict Captain Hill could be.

In June 1805, while in Haida Gwaii, the Lydia met two other ships from the same company. The captain of one of these ships had been killed in a conflict with local people. The captains and officers tried to work together. At a trading spot called Nahwitti, three more American ships joined them to help. They exchanged some crew members. Captain Hill, however, was often difficult and did not always cooperate with the other captains.

Captain Hill then sailed the Lydia to Nootka Sound. There, he rescued John R. Jewitt and John Thompson. They were the only survivors of another trading ship that had been attacked by the Nuu-chah-nulth people. Jewitt and Thompson had been living with Chief Maquinna. Hill had received a secret letter from Jewitt months earlier. He also knew that the ship's owners were offering a reward for the survivors. Rescuing Jewitt and Thompson made Hill a hero back in Boston.

From Nootka Sound, Hill sailed to the Columbia River. In November 1805, he anchored about 10 miles (16 km) from Fort Clatsop. This was where Lewis and Clark were spending the winter. The local Chinook people told Hill about Lewis and Clark, but they did not meet. In July 1806, Hill returned to the Columbia River. The Chinook people gave him a letter from Lewis and Clark, who had left just a few months before.

After visiting the Columbia River, Hill took the Lydia north again to find more furs. In many trading situations, Hill tried to trick the native peoples. At Kaigani, he tried to cheat the Haida with gunpowder kegs filled with scrap metal and watered-down molasses. In May 1806, at the Haida town of Massett, he took some Haida people captive. He held them until he received sea otter furs as a ransom. As he left, some shots were fired from the town towards the Lydia. Hill turned his ship around and fired a broadside (a volley of cannon fire) into the town. As he continued south, he often used threats to get furs from the native people.

Voyage of the Otter (1809–1812)

During his second fur trading voyage on the Otter, Samuel Hill was involved in two conflicts in southeast Alaska in 1811. In the first, near Sitka, he helped the Tlingit people against two ships from the Russian-American Company. In the second conflict, his own ship was attacked by Chilkat Tlingit people in Lynn Canal. Some of his crew were killed or injured, and many Tlingit people also died. These conflicts sometimes had long-lasting effects. Years later, in 1840, the Chilkat Tlingit threatened to attack Fort Taku in revenge for Hill's attack in 1811.

Later Life

Samuel Hill passed away in Boston on September 1, 1825.