Olowalu Massacre
Olowalu Massacre was a massacre that took place in Maui in 1790. In 1789, American Captain Simon Metcalfe set out on a maritime fur trading mission with two ships: the large "Eleanora", and the tender , a schooner under command of his son Thomas Humphrey Metcalfe. The "Fair American" was captured by the Spanish during the Nootka Crisis and taken to Mexico, but quickly released. The Metcalfes had earlier agreed to rendezvous in the Hawaiian Islands at Kealakekua Bay.

The "Eleanora" had arrived by January 1790, and met chief Kameeiamoku who boarded the ship to welcome them. An unknown action by the chief offended Simon Metcalfe, who had him flogged, which would have severe consequences later. The "Eleanora" then sailed north to the island of Maui to trade and resupply. One night a small boat was stolen and the night watchman was killed. Captain Metcalfe fired his cannons into the village, and captured a few Hawaiians who told him the boat was taken by people from the village of Olowalu.

He sailed to Olowalu but found that boat had been broken up for its nails. Nails were treasured in ancient Hawaii, which lacked metal smelting technology. Metcalfe invited the villagers to meet the ship, indicating he wanted to trade with them. However, he had all the cannons loaded and ready on the side where he directed the canoes to approach. They opened fire, killing about one hundred Hawaiians, and wounded many others.

About five or six weeks later the "Fair American" arrived at the Island of Hawaii where Kameeiamoku was waiting at Kaūpūlehu. The schooner's crew of five were easily overwhelmed and four were killed, including Thomas Metcalfe. The lone survivor was Isaac Davis. King Kamehameha I found out about the incident when another sailor, John Young, was captured by Kamehameha's men when he came ashore from the "Eleanora" to inquire about the "Fair American". Kamehameha decided to spare the lives of Davis and Young, who became valued military advisors during his subsequent battles and negotiations with later visitors.

The muskets of the "Fair American" were salvaged and the schooner refloated. Simon Metcalfe eventually left the island without realizing that he had indirectly caused his own son's death.
Q188705
Maui
LOC
Q7519345
Simon Metcalfe
PER
Q323002
maritime fur trading
UNK
Q204577
schooner
Concept
Q55979330
Thomas Humphrey Metcalfe
UNK
Q1648404
Nootka Crisis
PER
Q192626
Hawaiian Islands
LOC
Q2879655
Kealakekua Bay
LOC
Q6357079
Kameeiamoku
PER
Q856887
night watchman
Concept
Q10749897
ancient Hawaii
LOC
Q2748405
smelting
Concept
Q68740
Island of Hawaii
Concept
Q6378862
Kaūpūlehu
LOC
Q6076220
Isaac Davis
PER
Q214910
Kamehameha I
PER
Q6265184
John Young
PER
Q178243
musket
Concept
Q85790606
Olowalu Massacre
LOC
1790-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1790
DATE
1789-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1789
DATE
1790-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
January 1790
DATE
location
located on terrain feature