Naval Government of Guam | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898–1950 | |||||||||
| Motto: E Pluribus Unum "Out of Many, One" | |||||||||
| Anthem: "Hail, Columbia" (until 1931) "The Star-Spangled Banner"(from 1931) | |||||||||
_(small_islands_magnified).svg) | |||||||||
| Status | United States military occupation (1898–1899) Unincorporated, unorganized territory[a] (1899–1941), (1944–1950) Japanese military occupation (1941–1944) | ||||||||
| Capital | Agana | ||||||||
| Official languages | English | ||||||||
| Common languages | English,Chamorro,Spanish | ||||||||
| Government | Military government | ||||||||
| President | |||||||||
• 1899–1901 | William McKinley | ||||||||
• 1901–1909 | Theodore Roosevelt | ||||||||
• 1909–1913 | William Howard Taft | ||||||||
• 1913–1921 | Woodrow Wilson | ||||||||
• 1921–1923 | Warren G. Harding | ||||||||
• 1923–1929 | Calvin Coolidge | ||||||||
• 1929–1933 | Herbert Hoover | ||||||||
• 1933–1945 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | ||||||||
• 1945–1950 | Harry S. Truman | ||||||||
| Naval Governor | |||||||||
• 1899–1900 | Richard Phillips Leary | ||||||||
• 1949–1950 | Carlton Skinner | ||||||||
| Historical era | Modern Era | ||||||||
| 10 December 1898 | |||||||||
| 1 August 1950 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
TheNaval Government of Guam[1] was aprovisional military government and laterunincorporated, unorganized territory of theUnited States that was established during theSpanish–American War in 1898. It was under the administration of theUnited States Department of the Navy until the territory ofGuam was organized in 1950.
On June 21, 1898, the United Statescaptured Guam in a bloodless landing during the Spanish–American War. The island was ceded to the United States bySpain on April 11, 1899, by theTreaty of Paris.
On December 23, 1898, Guam was placed under the administration of the United States Department of the Navy by PresidentWilliam McKinley for military protection and government. Between the American capture of Guam and installation of a Naval Governor in August 1899, there was a flux in governance of the island.[2]
In 1922, the Naval Government banned the Chamorro language in schools and workplaces and destroyed all Chamorro dictionaries.[3]
Between 1941 and 1944, the island was under occupation byImperial Japanese forces duringWorld War II.
In 1946, the seal of Guam was approved by Naval GovernorCharles Alan Pownall. Later on February 9, 1948, the current flag of the territory was adopted.[4]
On August 1, 1950, theGuam Organic Act of 1950 was signed into law by PresidentHarry S. Truman, making Guam an organized territory.
