1849 invasion of the Hawaiian Kingdom by France
The French invasion of Honolulu (also known as the Sacking of Honolulu, or the Tromelin Affair) was an attack on Honolulu, capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, by French admiral Louis Tromelin in 1849 in retribution for the local persecution of Catholics and repression of French trade.
Prelude.
In the Treaty of 1843 with Hawaii, France had agreed never on any pretense to take possession of any portion of Hawaiian territory. The French government had issued orders to Guillaume Patrice Dillon, its new consul in Honolulu in 1848: "Avoid in your conduct any show of pugnaciousness [esprit de lutte]. It is befitting that moderation be the one to consolidate the fruits of firmness". Nevertheless on November 5, 1848, he wrote to the French Foreign Office: "I am convinced that it will prove sufficient to display a good French corvette for three days at Honolulu to force concessions from this devious and hypocritical Government."
On August 12, 1849, French admiral Louis Tromelin arrived in Honolulu Harbor on the corvette "Gassendi" with the frigate "La Poursuivante". While in Honolulu, Tromelin found out about the past persecution of Catholics and the high tariffs on French brandy from Dillon, who oversaw French interests in Hawaii. Tromelin, angered by the Protestant ABCFM missionaries’ intention to shut out Catholicism and French trade, worked with Dillon to compose ten demands to King Kamehameha III on August 22.
Sacking of Honolulu.
The demands had not been met by August 25. That afternoon, after a second warning to the civilians of the impending invasion, 140 French Marines, two field pieces, and scaling ladders were landed by boat. The marines took an empty Honolulu Fort from the two men defending it, Governor of Oahu Mataio Kekūanaōʻa and Marshal of the Kingdom Warren Goodale, who did not resist, the fort having been evacuated before the French landed. The marines spiked the coastal guns, threw kegs of powder into the harbor and destroyed all the other weapons they found (mainly muskets and ammunition). They raided government buildings and general property in Honolulu, causing $100,000 in damages. They also took the king's yacht, "Kamehameha III", which was sailed to Tahiti and never returned. After these raids, the invasion force withdrew to the fort. During the occupation, men in Honolulu ridiculed the French, and on August 30 they organized a mock attack party making the marines double their guard and send skirmishing patrols out late into night, encountering no attackers. Tromelin eventually recalled his men and left Hawaii on September 5.
Aftermath.
Gerrit P. Judd led a party to inquire and settle the incident, leaving for Paris on September 11. Along the way Judd requested support from the United States and United Kingdom, the latter accepting for his case against Tromelin. At first the French government condemned the attack on Honolulu but with the account of Tromelin and Dillon who left with Tromelin on September 5, the French government reconsidered the incident as more justified and did not make reparation for the damages.
References.
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