Polynesians in the Cross-fire: The Hawaiians Caught between French Captain Abel Du Petit-Thouars and American Missionary Hiram Bingham, Honolulu, 1837

Abstract

During the first half of the 19th century the Polynesian rulers in the Hawaiian Islands were increasingly caught between the French and the Americans, as these two nations vied with intensifying hostility to gain support for their religious and commercial interests. The French on one occasion demanded a "guarantee" of 20,000 piastres, then took a Hawaiian notable as hostage, and later invaded Honolulu. In the early 1850s, however, French interest declined and King Kamehameha III, who had reigned over this situation for 30 years, could finally have peace of mind. He died in December 1854.