The Samoan Islands were first settled some 3,500 years ago as part of the Austronesian expansion. Both Samoa's early history and its more recent history are strongly connected to the histories of Tonga and Fiji, nearby islands with which Samoa has long had genealogical links as well as shared cultural traditions.
Wrecked vessels at Apia (1889)
SMS Adler wrecked at Apia (1889)
German, British and American warships in Apia harbour, 1899 (Alfred James Tattersall)
Exiled group aboard German warship taking them to Saipan. Standing 3rd from the left is Lauaki Namulauulu Mamoe, 1909.
The Second Samoan Civil War was a conflict that reached a head in 1898 when Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States were locked in dispute over who should have control over the Samoan island chain, located in the South Pacific Ocean.
Tivoli Hotel in 1896, used as the command post for American force during the battle at Apia.
United States Marines and a naval gun in Upolu, 1899.
Samoan warriors and American servicemen during the Siege of Apia in March 1899.
German flag raising ceremony commemorating the creation of German Samoa in 1900.