Cyrille-Pierre-Théodore Laplace
Encyclopedia
Cyrille Pierre Théodore Laplace (7 November 1793 – 1875) was a French navigator
famous for his circumnavigation
of the globe on board La Favorite. He was pivotal in the opening of French trade in the Pacific and was instrumental in the establishment of the Hawaiian Catholic Church
. He achieved the rank of captain
.
and fought in the Indian
and Atlantic Oceans, along with battles in the West Indies. He was promoted from Aspirant
to Ship-of-the-Line Lieutenant
in 1823, and to Frigate Captain
in 1828. He had been awarded he Cross of Saint-Louis in 1825. He, at some point, was in command of a schooner
in Gorée
, Senegal
.
and New Guinea
, the French government sought to secure the religious freedoms and rights of French residents in the South Pacific. Voyages such as that of Jules Dumont d'Urville
in the 1820s had already collected vast amounts of knowledge of the area, and the French government were hoping to secure its economic opportunities. Having sent out two voyages already, that of the Astrolabe and the Bayonnaise, the French began drawing plans for a third expedition. The original route planned was designed to complement that of Hyacinthe de Bougainville
, re-establishing French influence of the Indo-China area. Laplace's prime objective was to re-establish French influence in Indo-China, to 'show the flag in the area. He was also asked to gather information that may be of use to merchants, such as customs, harbour regulations, conditions of entry and market information. On 30 December 1829, Laplace departed Toulon
with a crew of 177 aboard La Favorite.
Laplace reached Gibraltar
in one week, and decided to set sail for Gorée
. After spending a week in Gorée, the ship then made its way south, crossing the Equator on the 4 February, and sighting the Cape of Good Hope
on 6 March. After being forced to skip the scheduled stop in Cape Town
due to poor weather, Laplace attempted to continue on to Île Bourbon
. After being forced south by winds, La Favorie was hit by a hurricane on 28 March. After reaching Bourbon on 1 April, the hurricane ravaged the island, and was closely followed by another, forcing Laplace to hurriedly set sail for Mauritius
. After returning to St. Denis
, a shark killed one his crew members who was attempting to desert
, and Laplace was unable to recover an anchor
he had lost near the island.
On 1 May 1830, Laplace sailed towards India. After completing one of his hydrological assignments, he continued on to Mahé, Seychelles
. After six days the crew had made their way past the Maldives
and Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka
), before making landfall at Pondicherry on 9 June. In Madras (now known as Chennai
), Laplace was able to purchase new anchors and cables, and left on 28 June. On the night of the 29th, La Favorite became grounded on a mudbank. After the initial attempt failed, the ship was freed thanks to the help of the nearby Indians. Laplace continued onto Yanaon before leaving the Indian coast on 2 August.
Laplace arrived in Singapore
on 17 August, the first of a long series of South East Asian cities. In Manila
, many of his crew grew sick; cholera
was diagnosed on the land and the crew were reporting having cold
s and fever
s. On 28 September, La Favorite recorded its only cholera fatality, the epidemic
cleared up not long after. After travelling via Macao
, Laplace arrived in Canton (today Guangzhou
), with the intent of discussing the difficulties of French traders to the Chinese authorities. Laplace managed to secure France as the most favoured nation
of China. Setting sail on 18 December, Laplace arrived at Tourane (today Da Nang
) on 21 December. There, he came across the S. Michel wrecked off the coast and the crew sick. Laplace attempted to allow the crew on board, but many died from their illnesses. In Tourane, Laplace was met with hostility, as the authorities were paranoid of his intentions in the area. It was suspected that La Favorite had a large army concealed in the hold, and Chinese soldiers were brought into the city to oversee Laplace's actions. Laplace left the area in frustration of Emperor
Minh Mạng
's isolationist policies, the diplomatic mission having failed.
On 5 March, Laplace sailed south towards the Natuna Islands
, charting the area as they moved. In particular, Laplace attempted to complement Bougainville's earlier workaround around the Anambas
, not finishing his work until 4 April. He then set sail for Surabaya
in the Dutch East Indies
. There he was informed of the events of the July Revolution
, and that a war was expected. After dysentery
struck the ship, Laplace moved on to Banyuwangi
. During the trip, several men died, while morale decreased. Laplace attributed the ships poor health to the decrease of wine rations.
Laplace set sail for Hobart
, and sighted Mewstone on 6 July. Two more men were buried on Bruny Island, before La Favorite was allowed to anchor at Hobart on 11 July. The sick men were sent to hospital, although three men were to die there. Laplace left Hobart on 7 August, and set sail for Sydney
, arriving on 16 August. In Sydney the crew went to numerous social events, left to a twenty-one gun salute on 21 September 1831. Laplace proposed a short break in New Zealand, and anchored in the Bay of Islands
on 2 October. There the crew gave gifts of guns to the Māori chieftains, who in turn greeted them with the haka
. Laplace and his crew were 'disgusted' by the display, considering the Māori to be 'savages'. On 11 October, the crew took a number of detailed observations of New Zealand, including the Kawakawa River
. These observations were taken to be an attempt to claim New Zealand for France, causing excitement in Sydney and even led to the British Government requesting clarification from the French. This concern, nonetheless, hurried the development of the Treaty of Waitangi
.
After his stay in New Zealand, Laplace headed east, arriving in Valparaíso
on 14 November. He continued south past Cape Horn
and reached Rio de Janeiro
on 23 January 1832. After being farewelled by the crew of a British warship, Laplace set sail for France. After reaching Gibraltar
on 11 April, La Favorite anchored in Toulon harbour on 21 April. Laplace's voyage was generally successful, despite the setback in China. His account of the voyage, Voyage autour du Monde par les Mers de l'Inde et de la Chine, was published by the French government in 1833.
s in the Kingdom of Hawaii
in July 1839 which came to be known as the French Incident
.
Navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation. The navigator's primary responsibility is to be aware of ship or aircraft position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey, advising the Captain or aircraft Commander of estimated timing to...
famous for his circumnavigation
Circumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
of the globe on board La Favorite. He was pivotal in the opening of French trade in the Pacific and was instrumental in the establishment of the Hawaiian Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu
The Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, officially in Latin Dioecesis Honoluluensis, is an ecclesiastical territory or particular church of the Catholic Church in the United States...
. He achieved the rank of captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
.
Early life
Laplace was born at sea on 7 November 1793. He joined the French NavyFrench Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
and fought in the Indian
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
and Atlantic Oceans, along with battles in the West Indies. He was promoted from Aspirant
Aspirant
Aspirant is a military rank in the Canadian Navy, French military, Brazilian military, Romanian Navy and Polish Police.-Canadian Navy:Similar to the French usage, the Canadian Navy uses the French-language rank of "Aspirant de marine" to denote a junior officer under training. The same rank in the...
to Ship-of-the-Line Lieutenant
Ship-of-the-Line Lieutenant
Ship-of-the-line lieutenant is a common naval rank, equivalent to the naval rank of Lieutenant in the UK, Commonwealth and US.The name of the rank derives from the name of the largest class of warship, the ship of the line, as opposed to smaller types of warship .The rank is lieutenant de vaisseau...
in 1823, and to Frigate Captain
Frigate Captain
Frigate captain is a naval rank in the naval forces of several countries.It is, usually, equivalent to the Commonwealth/US Navy rank of commander.Countries using this rank include Argentina and Spain , France , Belgium , Italy ,...
in 1828. He had been awarded he Cross of Saint-Louis in 1825. He, at some point, was in command of a schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
in Gorée
Gorée
Île de Gorée Île de Gorée Île de Gorée (i.e. "Gorée Island"; is one of the 19 communes d'arrondissement (i.e. "commune of arrondissement") of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is a island located at sea from the main harbor of Dakar ....
, Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
.
Voyage of La Favorite
As British, American and Dutch voyages began solidifying their interests in Australia, HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, the French government sought to secure the religious freedoms and rights of French residents in the South Pacific. Voyages such as that of Jules Dumont d'Urville
Jules Dumont d'Urville
Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville was a French explorer, naval officer and rear admiral, who explored the south and western Pacific, Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica.-Childhood:Dumont was born at Condé-sur-Noireau...
in the 1820s had already collected vast amounts of knowledge of the area, and the French government were hoping to secure its economic opportunities. Having sent out two voyages already, that of the Astrolabe and the Bayonnaise, the French began drawing plans for a third expedition. The original route planned was designed to complement that of Hyacinthe de Bougainville
Hyacinthe de Bougainville
Hyacinthe Yves Philippe Potentien, baron de Bougainville was a French naval officer. He was the son of Louis-Antoine de Bougainville...
, re-establishing French influence of the Indo-China area. Laplace's prime objective was to re-establish French influence in Indo-China, to 'show the flag in the area. He was also asked to gather information that may be of use to merchants, such as customs, harbour regulations, conditions of entry and market information. On 30 December 1829, Laplace departed Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
with a crew of 177 aboard La Favorite.
Laplace reached Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
in one week, and decided to set sail for Gorée
Gorée
Île de Gorée Île de Gorée Île de Gorée (i.e. "Gorée Island"; is one of the 19 communes d'arrondissement (i.e. "commune of arrondissement") of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is a island located at sea from the main harbor of Dakar ....
. After spending a week in Gorée, the ship then made its way south, crossing the Equator on the 4 February, and sighting the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
on 6 March. After being forced to skip the scheduled stop in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
due to poor weather, Laplace attempted to continue on to Île Bourbon
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
. After being forced south by winds, La Favorie was hit by a hurricane on 28 March. After reaching Bourbon on 1 April, the hurricane ravaged the island, and was closely followed by another, forcing Laplace to hurriedly set sail for Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
. After returning to St. Denis
Saint-Denis, Réunion
Saint-Denis is the préfecture of the French overseas region and department of Réunion, in the Indian Ocean. It is located at the island's northernmost point, close to the mouth of the Rivière Saint-Denis....
, a shark killed one his crew members who was attempting to desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
, and Laplace was unable to recover an anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
he had lost near the island.
On 1 May 1830, Laplace sailed towards India. After completing one of his hydrological assignments, he continued on to Mahé, Seychelles
Mahé, Seychelles
Mahé is the largest island of the Seychelles, lying in the north east of the nation. The population of Mahé is 80,000. It contains the capital city of Victoria and accommodates 90% of the country's total population...
. After six days the crew had made their way past the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
and Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
), before making landfall at Pondicherry on 9 June. In Madras (now known as Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
), Laplace was able to purchase new anchors and cables, and left on 28 June. On the night of the 29th, La Favorite became grounded on a mudbank. After the initial attempt failed, the ship was freed thanks to the help of the nearby Indians. Laplace continued onto Yanaon before leaving the Indian coast on 2 August.
Laplace arrived in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
on 17 August, the first of a long series of South East Asian cities. In Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, many of his crew grew sick; cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
was diagnosed on the land and the crew were reporting having cold
Common cold
The common cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, caused primarily by rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. Common symptoms include a cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fever...
s and fever
Fever
Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
s. On 28 September, La Favorite recorded its only cholera fatality, the epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
cleared up not long after. After travelling via Macao
Mação
Mação is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 400.0 km² and a total population of 7,763 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of eight parishes, and is located in the Santarém District....
, Laplace arrived in Canton (today Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
), with the intent of discussing the difficulties of French traders to the Chinese authorities. Laplace managed to secure France as the most favoured nation
Most favoured nation
In international economic relations and international politics, most favoured nation is a status or level of treatment accorded by one state to another in international trade. The term means the country which is the recipient of this treatment must, nominally, receive equal trade advantages as the...
of China. Setting sail on 18 December, Laplace arrived at Tourane (today Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
) on 21 December. There, he came across the S. Michel wrecked off the coast and the crew sick. Laplace attempted to allow the crew on board, but many died from their illnesses. In Tourane, Laplace was met with hostility, as the authorities were paranoid of his intentions in the area. It was suspected that La Favorite had a large army concealed in the hold, and Chinese soldiers were brought into the city to oversee Laplace's actions. Laplace left the area in frustration of Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
Minh Mạng
Minh Mang
Minh Mạng was the second emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty of Vietnam, reigning from 14 February 1820 until 20 January 1841. He was a younger son of Emperor Gia Long, whose eldest son, Crown Prince Canh, had died in 1801...
's isolationist policies, the diplomatic mission having failed.
On 5 March, Laplace sailed south towards the Natuna Islands
Natuna Islands
The Natuna Islands archipelago is located in the Natuna Sea in the larger Tudjuh Archipelago, off the northwest coast of Borneo. The islands are administratively part of the Riau Islands province of Indonesia and are the northernmost non-disputed island group of Indonesia...
, charting the area as they moved. In particular, Laplace attempted to complement Bougainville's earlier workaround around the Anambas
Anambas
Anambas archipelago is a small archipelago of Indonesia, located in the South China Sea between the Malaysian mainland to the west and the island of Borneo to the east...
, not finishing his work until 4 April. He then set sail for Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
in the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
. There he was informed of the events of the July Revolution
July Revolution
The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution or in French, saw the overthrow of King Charles X of France, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who himself, after 18 precarious years on the throne, would in turn be overthrown...
, and that a war was expected. After dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
struck the ship, Laplace moved on to Banyuwangi
Banyuwangi
The Regency of Banyuwangi is located at the easternmost end of the Indonesian island of Java and it is a very strategic area for those who want to go to Bali, since it also serves as an important ferry port between Java and Bali. It is surrounded by mountains and forests to the west; by sea to the...
. During the trip, several men died, while morale decreased. Laplace attributed the ships poor health to the decrease of wine rations.
Laplace set sail for Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, and sighted Mewstone on 6 July. Two more men were buried on Bruny Island, before La Favorite was allowed to anchor at Hobart on 11 July. The sick men were sent to hospital, although three men were to die there. Laplace left Hobart on 7 August, and set sail for Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, arriving on 16 August. In Sydney the crew went to numerous social events, left to a twenty-one gun salute on 21 September 1831. Laplace proposed a short break in New Zealand, and anchored in the Bay of Islands
Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is an area in the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located 60 km north-west of Whangarei, it is close to the northern tip of the country....
on 2 October. There the crew gave gifts of guns to the Māori chieftains, who in turn greeted them with the haka
Haka
Haka is a traditional ancestral war cry, dance or challenge from the Māori people of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment...
. Laplace and his crew were 'disgusted' by the display, considering the Māori to be 'savages'. On 11 October, the crew took a number of detailed observations of New Zealand, including the Kawakawa River
Kawakawa, New Zealand
Kawakawa is a small town in the Northland Region of northern New Zealand. It had a population of 1347 at the 2006 census, down from 1401 in 2001. Kawakawa developed as a service town when coal was found in the area in 1861, but there is no longer coal mining here...
. These observations were taken to be an attempt to claim New Zealand for France, causing excitement in Sydney and even led to the British Government requesting clarification from the French. This concern, nonetheless, hurried the development of the Treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
.
After his stay in New Zealand, Laplace headed east, arriving in Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
on 14 November. He continued south past Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
and reached Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
on 23 January 1832. After being farewelled by the crew of a British warship, Laplace set sail for France. After reaching Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
on 11 April, La Favorite anchored in Toulon harbour on 21 April. Laplace's voyage was generally successful, despite the setback in China. His account of the voyage, Voyage autour du Monde par les Mers de l'Inde et de la Chine, was published by the French government in 1833.
Voyage of the Artémise
In 1837, Laplace once again undertook a voyage, this time as captain of the Artémise. The aim of this voyage was primarily political; Laplace delivered a manifesto on the treatment of CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
s in the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
in July 1839 which came to be known as the French Incident
French Incident (Hawaii)
The French Incident or the Laplace Affair was a military intervention by the Kingdom of the French to end the persecution of Catholics by the Kingdom of Hawaii, which had been promoted by Protestant ministers in Hawaii...
.