In 1887, King Kalākaua of Hawaii envisioned a Pan-Pacific alliance of indigenous island nations to resist Western imperial encroachment. To project power, the Kingdom converted a former copra trading steamer into Hawaii's first ironclad warship, the Kaimiloa. Armed with modern cannons and Gatling guns, the Kaimiloa set sail for Samoa to negotiate a treaty of federation with Samoan King Malietoa Laupepa.
However, the expedition was plagued by poor discipline, mutinous crew members, and diplomatic amateurism. Upon arrival in Apia, the Hawaiian envoy held lavish parties while tension escalated with Germany, which already maintained significant economic and military ambitions in Samoa. German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck viewed the Hawaiian warship's presence as a direct provocation to German interests.
The standoff drew warships from Germany, the United States, and Great Britain into Apia Harbor, escalating into a tense tripartite crisis. Confronted by German threats of full military retaliation, King Kalākaua recalled the Kaimiloa, ending Hawaii's short-lived naval empire. Shortly thereafter, a devastating cyclone struck Apia Harbor in 1889, destroying several foreign warships and forcing the imperial powers into formal partition negotiations.