Provisional Cession of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 February – 31 July 1843 | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
 Location of the Hawaiian islands. | |||||||||
| Status | Unrecognized and unapproved dependency of the United Kingdom | ||||||||
| Capital | Honolulu | ||||||||
| Common languages | English,Hawaiian | ||||||||
| Government | Unofficialmilitary occupation andBritish colony | ||||||||
| Monarch | |||||||||
• 1843 | Queen Victoria | ||||||||
| Local Representative | |||||||||
• 1843 | George Paulet | ||||||||
• 1843 | Richard Thomas | ||||||||
| Historical era | International relations | ||||||||
• Established | 25 February 1843 | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 31 July 1843 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
.jpg)
ThePaulet affair, also known asBritish Hawaii, was the insubordinate five-month occupation of theHawaiian Islands in 1843 by British naval officer CaptainLord George Paulet, ofHMS Carysfort. It was ended by the arrival of American warships sent to defend Hawaii's independence. TheBritish government inLondon did not authorize the move and it had no official status.
Paulet became captain ofHMS Carysfort on 28 December 1841, serving on thePacific Station under Rear-AdmiralRichard Darton Thomas (1777–1857).[1]
Richard Charlton, who had been the British consul to theKingdom of Hawaii since 1825 met Paulet off the coast ofMexico in late 1842. Charlton claimed that British subjects in theHawaiian Islands were being denied their legal rights. In particular, Charlton claimed land that was under dispute.[2] Paulet requested permission from Rear-Admiral Thomas to investigate the allegations.[3]
Paulet arrived at Honolulu and requested an audience with KingKamehameha III on 11 February 1843. He was told the King was on another island and would take six days to arrive. His next letter on 16 February maintained the polite tone of formal diplomatic correspondence, but was more demanding:
I have the honour to acquaint your Majesty of the arrival in this port of Her Britannic Majesty's ship under my command, and according to my instructions I am desired to demand a private interview with you, to which I shall proceed with a proper and competent interpreter.[4]
The King replied that AmericanGerrit P. Judd, as chief government minister, could be trusted to handle any written communication. This seemed to infuriate Paulet who had been told by Charlton that Judd was acting as "dictator". Paulet refused to speak with Judd, and accused him of fabricating the previous response. Paulet then listed specific demands.
Paulet warned Captain Long, captain of the American shipUSS Boston, of his intentions on 17 February:
Sir, I have the honour to notify you that Her Britannic Majesty's Ship Carysfort, under my command, will be prepared to make an immediate attack upon this town, at 4 o'clock P.M. to-morrow, (Saturday) in the event of the demands now forwarded by me to the King of these Islands not being complied with by that time.
Sir, I have the honour to be your most obedient humble servant, George Paulet, captain[4]
Boston did not interfere.[5]
On 18 February the Hawaiian government wrote back that they would comply with the demands under protest, and hoped that a diplomatic mission already in London could settle any conflicts. Between the 20th and 23rd daily meetings were held by Alexander Simpson, acting consul and Paulet with the King. Kamehameha III agreed to reopen the disputed cases but refused to overrule the courts and ignoredue process. On 25 February the agreement was signed ceding the land subject to any diplomatic resolution. Paulet appointed himself and three others to a commission to be the new government, and insisted on direct control of all land transactions.[4]
Paulet destroyed all Hawaiian flags he could find, and raised the BritishUnion Flag for an occupation that would last six months. He cleared 156 residents off of the contested Charlton land. The dispute took years to resolve.[6]
James F. B. Marshall, an American merchant ofLadd and Company was invited aboardBoston where he secretly met Hawaiian Kingdom minister Judd. Judd gave Marshall an emergency commission as "envoy extraordinary" and sent him to plead the case for an independent Hawaii in London. Paulet closed down all shipping, but wanted to send Alexander Simpson back to England so that his side of the case could be heard first. Paulet rechristened the Hawaiian shipHoikaika asAlbert, and both Simpson and Marshall (telling Paulet he was only on a business mission) sailed toSan Blas, Mexico. On 12 April they left overland and reachedVeracruz by 1 May. Simpson continued to England, while Marshall went by ship and train to Boston by 2 June. He spread the news in the American press, and on 4 June, met with fellow Bostonians such as U.S. Secretary of StateDaniel Webster and business partner and future minister to HawaiiHenry A. Peirce. Webster gave him letters forEdward Everett who was the American ambassador.[7]
On 30 June Marshall arrived in London and met with Everett. Two other envoys from Hawaii,William Richards andTimothy Haʻalilo were in Paris, France negotiating treaties. They had received verbal assurance that Hawaii's independence would be respected.[7] On April 1, 1843,Lord Aberdeen, the foreign minister on behalf ofthe Queen, assured the Hawaiian delegation that:
Her Majesty's Government was willing and had determined to recognize the independence of the Sandwich Islands under their present sovereign.[8]
TheUSS Constellation arrived in Honolulu under CommodoreLawrence Kearny in early July. Acting American agent William Hooper protested the takeover to Kearny.[9] American CommodoreThomas ap Catesby Jones arrived with theUSS United States on 22 July. He landed inHilo where he consulted with American missionaryTitus Coan. Rear-Admiral Thomas heard conflicting reports about the surprising developments in Hawaii. He had also heard how Jones had brieflyoccupiedMonterey, California. Some historians think he was trying to defuse the situation before it spiraled into a larger conflict.[10]
On 26 July Rear-Admiral Thomas sailed into Honolulu harbor on his flagshipHMS Dublin and requested an interview with the king. Kamehameha was more than happy to tell his side of the story. On 31 July, with the arrival of American warships, Thomas informed Kamehameha III the occupation was over. He reserved the right to protect British citizens, but respected the sovereignty of the Kingdom. The site of a ceremony raising theflag of Hawaii was made into a park in downtown Honolulu namedThomas Square in his honor.[11] The pathways are shaped in the form of the British flag. 31 July is celebrated asLā Hoʻihoʻi Ea or Restoration Day holiday.[12] A phrase from the speech made by Kamehameha III became the motto of Hawaii, and is included on the coat of arms andSeal of Hawaii:Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono, roughly translated from theHawaiian language into English as "The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness."[11] Jones tried to hasten the peace process by inviting British officers to dinners, and celebrations including the restored king.[10]
FormerBritish Empire and currentBritish Overseas Territories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
