Samoa in Depth ― A Peace Corps Publication

The modern history of Samoa began with the arrival of John Williams and his team from the London Missionary Society in 1830. British, German, and American consulates were later established in Apia. By the 1890s, Samoa was divided between Germany and the United States. The former administered Western Samoa, while the latter retained control of Eastern Samoa, now known as American Samoa. When war broke out in Europe in 1914, New Zealand military forces occupied Western Samoa. In 1919, the League of Nations granted New Zealand a territorial mandate over Samoa. In 1946, Samoa was made a United Nations Trusteeship under New Zealand. In 1961, a plebiscite showed overwhelming support for independence, and on January 1, 1962, Samoa became an independent nation.