Henry A. Peirce
Henry Augustus Peirce | |
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United States Minister to Hawaii | |
In office July 19, 1869 – September 25, 1877 | |
President | Ulysses S. Grant Rutherford B. Hayes |
Preceded by | Edward M. McCook |
Succeeded by | James M. Comly |
Personal details | |
Born | Dorchester, Massachusetts, U.S. | December 15, 1808
Died | July 29, 1885 San Francisco, California, U.S. | (aged 76)
Spouse(s) | Virginia Kahoa Rives Susan R. Thompson |
Occupation | Businessman, diplomat |
Henry Augustus Peirce (December 15, 1808 – July 29, 1885) was an American businessman and diplomat. Some sources spell his last name as Pierce.
Early life and business
Peirce was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts (now part of Boston) on December 15, 1808. His father was Joseph Hardy Peirce (1773–1832), the son of Joseph Peirce; his mother was Frances Temple. He had at least one brother and five sisters. He attended public schools in Boston, and then about 1822 worked for his father and uncle as a court clerk. On October 24, 1824, he enrolled on the crew of the merchant ship Griffon mastered by his brother Marus T. Peirce. On March 25, 1825, the Griffon landed in Honolulu for provisions. He was promoted to ship's clerk for the three-year trading voyage on the west coast of British Columbia. In September 1828 the Griffon was back in Honolulu, and Peirce stayed while his brother returned.[1]
Peirce worked as a clerk for fellow ex-New Englander James Hunnewell (1794–1869), who ran a mercantile business. He eventually became a partner, and then owner when Hunnewell left in 1830. In 1834 he chartered the Becket from King Kamehameha III and traveled to China trading sandalwood and merchandise to the Kamchatka Peninsula.[1] In 1835 he formed a partnership with one of the commanders of his ships, Captain Charles Brewer (1804–1885), and continued to develop the shipping business.[2] Some time around 1828 he took a common-law wife (before marriages were legally required to be recorded) named Kahoa, or Virginia Rives, whose mother was a Hawaiian noble and father was
Hawaii's Big Five |
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In 1836 after sailing on one of his ships to China, he traveled to New York. It was his first time back in his native country for 12 years. On January 19, 1837, he sailed again out of Boston to Brazil. He then went around
In my opinion California will become, in its future history, a second Texas....in less than six years more than fifteen thousand persons will have emigrated to California...we shall, I hope, see the country governed by our own enlightened laws, and the people speaking our own language.[1]
He sailed south down the California coast, continuing to trade as he went. After reaching San Blas, Mexico, he traveled by land to Mexico City and the eastern coast, then boat to Cuba. From there he traveled north to Washington, D.C., where he met with Daniel Webster who was then Secretary of State. Finally he saw his family again for the first time in three years.[1]
In 1843 Peirce retired from the Honolulu business, which became C. Brewer & Co. After some other owners, the name would be changed back by Brewer's nephew, the name it would keep through the 21st century. It became one of the Big Five companies that dominated the economy of the Territory of Hawaii.[4]
In 1844 Peirce took a tour of Europe, but continued to invest in shipping ventures. One of his ships was chartered in 1847 to send provisions to
Meanwhile, Peirce headed off to China. There he joined a venture sending Chinese goods to San Francisco at a great profit. Finally in April 1850 he returned to Boston after circumnavigating the Earth. Seeing the new market potential, he joined his old friends Hunnewell and Brewer in a partnership sending goods between Hawaii and California. This time he stayed behind with his wife and two children, acting as Consul for Hawaii in New England.[1]
The outbreak of the
Diplomacy
On May 10, 1869, Peirce was appointed
On November 17, 1874, Kalākaua left accompanied by Peirce and some other government ministers on a visit to Washington, D.C., which was the first state visit of a ruling monarch to the United States.
He served until being replaced by
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-548-45442-8.
- ^ Charles Brewer (1884). Reminiscences.
- ^ Alfred S. Hartwell (1869). "In the matter of the legitimacy of Henry E. Pierce: a native of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands".
- ^ James F. Hunnewell (1896). "Early History of C. Brewer & Co". All about Hawaii: The recognized book of authentic information on Hawaii. Honolulu Star-Bulletin. pp. 68–73.
- ^ Marylou Bradley (2009). "Finding Aid for Lihue Plantation Collection" (PDF). Kaua'i Historical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 26, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ^ Henry Cummings (1874). A synopsis of the cruise of the U.S.S. "Tuscarora": from the date of her commission to her arrival in San Francisco, Cal. Sept. 2d, 1874. Cosmopolitan printing co. p. 38.
- ^ "Visits to the U.S. by Foreign Heads of State and Government — 1874–1939". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2010-02-12.
- ^ "Ali'i Diplomatic Missions to Washington, D.C." (PDF). Office of Hawaiian Affairs, state of Hawaii. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-02. Retrieved 2010-02-12.
- ^ Henry A. Peirce; Hamilton Fish (1874). "Hawaiian Islands Number 296". Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United States, Part 1. pp. 669–679.
- ^ "Chiefs of Mission by Country, 1778-2005: Hawaii". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
- ^ "Allen, Elisha Hunt office record". state archives digital collections. state of Hawaii. Archived from the original on 2010-05-27. Retrieved 2010-01-26.
- ISBN 978-0-7391-1466-7.
- ^ "Peirce, Henry Augustus office record". state archives digital collections. state of Hawaii. Archived from the original on 2011-08-11. Retrieved 2010-02-11.