History
In 1815, German physician Georg Anton Schäffer, an agent of the Russian-American Company, arrived in Hawaiʻi to retrieve goods seized by Kaumualiʻi, chief of Kauaʻi island. According to the Company instructions, Schäffer had to begin by establishing friendly relations with king Kamehameha I who had created a kingdom incorporating all the islands of Hawaiʻi and faced opposition from rebellious Kaumualii. Then, with or without Kamehameha's support, Schäffer had to recover the cost of lost merchandise from Kaumualiʻi.
Schäffer's medical expertise gained Kamehameha's respect but he denied the Russians any assistance against Kaumualiʻi. Schäffer received reinforcement of two company ships and sailed to Kauaʻi on his own. To his surprise, Kaumualiʻi eagerly signed a "treaty" granting Russian Tsar Alexander I of Russia a protectorate over Kauaʻi. Kaumualiʻi convinced Schäffer that the Russians could just as easily capture the whole archipelago. Schäffer promised that Tsar Alexander would help him to break free of Kamehameha's rule. Officially, Kaumualiʻi had pledged allegiance to Kamehameha in 1810. Kaumualiʻi probably never intended to give up power over the island; he thought he might reclaim his own kingdom with the help of Russia. Kaumualiʻi allowed Schäffer to build a fort near Waimea, named Fort or Fortress Elizabeth (Russian: Елизаветинская крепость, Elizavetinskaya Krepost’) in honor of the Empress of Russia at the time, Louise of Baden. Two others – Fortress Alexander (крепость Александра, Krepost’ Aleksandra) and Fort Barclay-de-Tolly (форт Барклая-де-Толли, Fort Barklaya-de-Tolli) – were named for the reigning emperor Alexander and his marshal Barclay-de-Tolly and constructed near Hanalei on Kauaʻi.
Fort Elizabeth was constructed in 1817 on the east bank of the Waimea River overlooking Waimea Bay. This fort was built in the shape of an irregular octagon, about 300 feet (91 m) to 450 feet (140 m) across, with walls 20 feet (6.1 m) high. It housed a small Russian Orthodox chapel, Hawaiʻi's first Orthodox Christian church. Fort Alexander built on Hanalei Bay also housed a small Orthodox chapel. When it was discovered that Schäffer did not have the backing of the Tsar, he was forced to leave Kauaʻi in the fall of 1817. Captain Alexander Adams replaced the Russian flag with the new Kingdom of Hawaii flag some time before October 1817. Russian Fort Elizabeth eventually came under the control of Kamehameha supporters.
In 1820, the guns fired in salute as Kaumualiʻi's son, Prince George "Prince" Kaumualiʻi (also known as Humehume) arrived on the ship Thaddeus, after guiding American missionaries back to his home. Humehume tried to stage a rebellion in 1824 by attacking the fort. It was used as a base to capture him and keep the kingdom unified. It was abandoned in 1853.
Read more about this topic: Russian Fort Elizabeth
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