Benjamin Franklin Tilley

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Benjamin Franklin Tilley (1848–March 18, 1907) was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy and the first acting American Governor of American Samoa, with the title of Commandant. He was born in Bristol, Rhode Island and entered the Navy in 1863.

On January 16, 1900, the United States Senate ratified the Samoan Treaty which gave the United States control of the island of Tutuila. Tilley, then Lieutenant Commander in command of the USS Abarenda supply ship in Pago Pago harbor, was ordered to notify the natives and to raise the American flag on the territory. This was completed on April 17, 1900. (By this time, the island of Manoa and adjacent islands had also been added to the territory.) During his term as acting-Governor, he built schools and began the integration process of the Samoan people into an American territory. He also passed laws which prohibited whites from purchasing property on the islands and limiting the types of contracts that natives and Americans could enter into. (This was done to prevent the exploitation of the locals by outsiders.)

On October 7, 1901, Tilley was promoted to Captain. Almost immediately after, he was charged by local missionaries with "conduct unbecoming an officer" and ordered to return to San Francisco. He and Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans were subsequently sent back to the island to hold an investigation and court martial. He was subsequently exonerated of all charges as the prosecution called no witnesses against him, but he was still removed as Governor. (It was revealed in the trial that he had received a Samoan "massage," which was witnessed by a missionary who felt it was immoral.)

Following his time as Commandant, he was given command of the USS Iowa. In 1907, he was put in charge of the League Island Naval Yard and simultaneously promoted to Rear Admiral. He died of pneumonia in Philadelphia less than a month later. Tilley was married and had a son and a daughter.

[edit] References

WE TAKE OUR ISLAND. The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: Jan 17, 1900. pg. 1, 1 pgs
OUR NEWEST POSSESSIONS. The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: Feb 16, 1900. pg. 4, 1 pgs
FLAG-RAISING IN TUTUILA. The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: May 11, 1900. pg. 4, 1 pgs
THE ALLEGIANCE OF SAMOA. New York Times. New York, N.Y.: May 12, 1900. pg. 6, 1 pgs
A SAMOAN SCHOOL FOR GIRLS. New York Times. New York, N.Y.: Mar 24, 1901. pg. 2, 1 pgs
To be Captain in the Navy. New York Times. New York, N.Y.: Oct 8, 1901. pg. 6, 1 pgs
AMERICAN COMMANDER IN SAMOA, RECALLED FOR ALLEGED MISCONDUCT. Chicago Daily Tribune. Chicago, Ill.: Oct 10, 1901. pg. 5, 1 pgs
TILLEY PUT ON TRIAL. The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: Nov 26, 1901. pg. 1, 1 pgs
CAPT. TILLEY EXONERATED. New York Times. New York, N.Y.: Dec 3, 1901. pg. 9, 1 pgs
DEATH OF ADMIRAL TILLEY. The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: Mar 19, 1907. pg. 3, 1 pgs

[edit] External links

Preceded by: None	Governor of American Samoa 1900-1901 Commandant / Acting-Governor	Succeeded by: Uriel Sebree

Governors of American Samoa

Tilley • Sebree • Minett • Underwood • Moore • Parker • Crose • Post • Stearns • Post • Woodruff • Poyer • Terhune • Evans • Pollock • Kellogg • Henry Francis Bryan • Stephen Victor Graham • Lincoln • Spore • Emerson • Lincoln • Landeberger • Latimore • Dowling • Fitzpatrick • Milne • Hanson • Wallace • Wild • Larsen • Moyer • Hobbs • Hungerford • Canan • Houser • Huber • Darden • Phelps • Elliott • Ewing • Judd • Lowe • Coleman • Lee • Aspinall • Haydon • Mockler • Ruth • Barnett • Lee • Coleman • Lutali • Coleman • Lutali • Sunia • Tulafono