Paulet Affair: Lord George Paulet occupies the Kingdom of Hawaii (1843)

Lord George Paulet occupied the Hawaiian Kingdom in February 1843, acting on complaints from British consul Richard Charlton. Paulet pressured King Kamehameha III to sign a cession agreement in Honolulu. The occupation lasted five months until Rear-Admiral Thomas restored sovereignty in July 1843, while diplomatic recognition efforts continued in London.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Lord George Paulet, captain of HMS Carysfort, served on the Pacific Station under Rear-Admiral Richard Darton Thomas. In late 1842, British consul Richard Charlton reported that British subjects in Hawaii were denied legal rights. These complaints prompted Paulet to act independently, leading to an insubordinate occupation of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1843, known as the Paulet affair.

Occupation. Paulet arrived in Honolulu on 11 February 1843 and requested an audience with King Kamehameha III. The Hawaiian government acceded to his demands on 18 February. An agreement was signed on 25 February, ceding the land subject to diplomatic resolution. This five-month occupation was characterized as insubordinate, occurring despite ongoing diplomatic assurances of independence.

Restoration. Rear-Admiral Thomas arrived in Honolulu on 26 July 1843. He apologized to Kamehameha III for Paulet's actions and restored Hawaiian sovereignty on 31 July 1843. The affair prompted litigation and highlighted the tension between naval insubordination and diplomatic recognition, which was formally secured by Britain and France in November 1843.

People involved

Sources

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