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Expanded History

History of Samoa

From antiquity to the modern era — the historical eras, key events, and narrative that shaped Samoa.

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Overview

Migrants from Southeast Asia arrived in the Samoan islands more than 2,000 years ago and from there settled the rest of Polynesia further to the east. Contact with Europeans began in the early 1700s but did not intensify until the arrival of English missionaries and traders in the 1830s. At the turn of the 20th century, the Samoan islands were split into two sections. The eastern islands became territories of the United States in 1904 and today are known as American Samoa. The western islands became known as Western Samoa (now just Samoa), passing from German control to New Zealand in 1914. New Zealand administered Western Samoa under the auspices of the League of Nations and then as a UN trusteeship until independence in 1962. Western Samoa was the first Pacific Island country to gain its independence.

In July 1997 the Constitution was amended to change the country’s name from Western Samoa to Samoa. Samoa had been known simply as Samoa in the United Nations since joining the organization in 1976. The neighboring U.S. territory of American Samoa protested the move, feeling that the change diminished its own Samoan identity. American Samoans still use the terms Western Samoa and Western Samoans.

Historical Eras

The major periods of {country}’s history at a glance.

  1. Polynesian Settlement

    1000 BCE – 1722

    Migrants from Southeast Asia arrived in the Samoan archipelago over 3,000 years ago, establishing one of the cradles of Polynesian civilization. From these islands, voyagers spread eastward to settle much of the Pacific. Samoan society developed complex chiefly systems, oral traditions, and a distinctive culture centered on the concept of fa'asamoa — the Samoan way.

  2. European Contact

    1722 – 1899

    Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen became the first European to sight Samoa in 1722, followed by French and British explorers later in the century. English missionaries and traders arrived in the 1830s, profoundly reshaping religious and economic life. Rival European powers — Britain, Germany, and the United States — competed for influence throughout the 19th century, culminating in the 1899 Tripartite Convention that divided the islands.

  3. German Colonial Era

    1899 – 1914

    Following the 1899 partition, Germany formally annexed Western Samoa and governed it as a colonial protectorate. German administration introduced plantation agriculture, particularly copra production, and imposed significant economic and political changes on indigenous Samoans. The Mau resistance movement had early roots in this period as Samoans chafed under foreign rule.

  4. New Zealand Administration

    1914 – 1962

    New Zealand occupied Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914 and subsequently governed it under a League of Nations mandate and later a UN trusteeship. The period was marked by the devastating 1918 influenza pandemic, which killed roughly 20% of the population, and the Mau nonviolent independence movement, which suffered its darkest moment on Black Saturday in 1929 when New Zealand police killed paramount chief Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III.

  5. Independence & Nation-Building

    1962 – 1997

    On January 1, 1962, Western Samoa became the first Pacific Island nation to gain independence in the 20th century, with Malietoa Tanumafili II and Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole serving as joint heads of state. The new constitutional framework uniquely blended parliamentary democracy with traditional Samoan chiefly governance, requiring most voters and candidates to hold matai (chiefly) titles. The country joined the United Nations in 1976 and steadily built its international relationships.

  6. Modern Samoa

    1997 – present

    In 1997 the constitution was amended to officially shorten the country's name from Western Samoa to simply Samoa, reflecting its identity as the cultural heartland of the Samoan people. The death of Malietoa Tanumafili II in 2007 ended the last lifetime head-of-state tenure, transitioning the role to a five-year elected term. Samoa continues to navigate challenges of climate vulnerability, emigration, and economic development while maintaining strong cultural traditions.

Timeline Preview

The first 7 key events. View the full chronology on the timeline page.

  1. 1722

    Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen is the first European to explore Samoa.

    Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen is the first European to explore Samoa.

  2. 1899

    Germany annexes Western Samoa.

    Germany annexes Western Samoa, the US takes over eastern Samoa and Britain withdraws its claim to the islands in accordance with treaty between Germany, Britain and the US.

  3. 1914

    New Zealand occupies Western Samoa during World War I.

    New Zealand occupies Western Samoa during World War I and continues to administer it after the war by virtue of a League of Nations mandate (and a United Nations mandate after World War II).

  4. 1939 – 1945

    US troops stationed in Western Samoa during World War II.

    US troops stationed in Western Samoa during World War II, but no battles are fought on the islands.

  5. 1962

    Western Samoa becomes independent, the first Pacific island nation to do so.

    Western Samoa becomes independent, the first Pacific island nation to do so.

  6. 1962

    Western Samoa becomes independent, the first Pacific island nation to do so.

    Western Samoa becomes independent, the first Pacific island nation to do so.

  7. 1997

    Western Samoa changes its name to Samoa.

    Western Samoa changes its name to Samoa, a move which causes some tension with American Samoa.

View full timeline (8 events)
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