Connected by the Sea: Towards a Regional History of the Western Caroline Islands

Abstract

Few Pacific historians examine island communities as part of wider spheres of indigenous interaction. Indigenous relations with Europeans receive the lion's share of attention, while ongoing and new interactions between local communities tend to be neglected. As a result, European influence is perhaps exaggerated. This paper examines the Western Caroline Islands in the century prior to the imposition of modern colonial rule. It argues that the history of this period is best understood as a series of interactions between four distinct, yet interconnected worlds. When a regional perspective is adopted, the Western Carolines become a more dynamic place, with Europeans just one of many groups of outsiders to influence communities. Indigenous history becomes more prominent, and inter-island contacts become an important part of that history.

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