1895 Scott 14b 2 1/2p rose "King Malietoa Laupepa" Quick History The Samoan archipelago is in the South Pacific Ocean, and is one of the centers of Polynesian culture, along with Hawaii and the Cook Islands. Polynesian culture includes the Samoan Islands The Samoan language is a specific dialect of Polynesian, and is understood and spoken today by about 470,000 people, about one half of whom still reside on the islands. Before the advent of European influence on the the Samoan archipelago, the history of Samoa was linked with the Fiji and Tonga kingdoms. 1934 Map showing the central position of Samoa in the Pacific But Samoa was too central of a location (known during the 19th century by mariners as the "Navigator Islands") to be ignored for long, and soon there was English, American, and German influences. The Americans used the harbor of Pago Pago as a coaling station on Tutuila in 1877, and formed relationships with the local chieftains. Apparently, there were only 130 Europeans residing in Samoa in 1877, mostly in Apia. Nevertheless, the Kingdom of Samoa "Express" stamps were also issued in 1877. 1896 Map of Samoa The British had missionaries since 1830 from the Congregationalist London Missionary Society on the island of Savai'i. Robert Lewis Stevenson lived in Vailima (near Apia, Upolu) from 1889 to his death in 1894. He participated actively in Samoan politics, and wrote A Footnote to History: Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa, a non-fiction account of the Samoan Civil War among warring Samoan factions, aided and abetted by the three colonial powers interested in Samoa. The third colonial presence, and a large one, was Germany. German firms formed large copra and cocoa bean processing operations on the island of 'Upolu. Malietoa Laupepa Malietoa Laupepa (1841-1898), who appears on a stamp issued in 1892 ( The stamp is the first one shown for the post), was a devout Christian by upbringing from 'Upolu. He was crowned King of Samoa by the German Empire, and the British and American consuls in 1881. "Malietoa" is a title given to Samoan Chiefs, and literally means "great warrior". It is from an epic heroic tale when Tongan warriors said, as they rushed to their boats, "Malle To'a Malle tau".."brave warrior, brave fight". As one can imagine, trying to maintain native influence vis-a-vis the three great colonial powers with their own agendas was difficult indeed for Malietoa Laupepa. Samoan males, traditionally and when they are ready, will receive the pe'a ritual tattoo. Laupepa underwent the painful pe'a process in his forties. Samoan male with pe'a tattoo, 1890s The tattoo (tatau is a Polynesian word) covers the body from waist to knees. using bone, tusks, turtle shell, and wood as tattoo implements. German, British, and American warships in Apia Harbor, 1899 Meanwhile, the colonial powers were sending combat troops in support of warring Samoan factions. This culminated in Britain and the U.S. using warships to shell Apia on Upolu island in March, 1899. But a treaty was signed among the three colonial powers (Tripartite Convention of 1899) that divided the archipelago into German Samoa ( Savai'i, Upolu), and an American territory (Tutuila, Manua). (These divisions would eventually lead to Western Samoa (now Samoa), and American Samoa respectively). Britain, as compensation for giving up "rights" to Samoa, obtained the Tonga group from Germany, and an advantageous change in the boundary between the German and British Solomon islands. Germany gave up any rights in Zanzibar. The Samoan Chiefs and natives had little to say about it. To be continued with the next post..... "Scott 6" 1sh orange yellow Express Reprint Into the Deep Blue The 2014 Scott Classic Specialized 1840-1940 catalogue has, for Samoa 1877-1952, 173 major descriptive numbers. Of those, 50 are CV