 |
American Samoa History - The Rite Info |
| American Samoa Navigation |
| American Samoa History |
| Background: | Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was "discovered" by European explorers in the 18th century. International rivalries in the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899 treaty in which Germany and the United States divided the Samoan archipelago. The United States formally occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following year. |