Guam's American Colonial Era
The taking of Guam by the Americans on June 20, 1898 during the Spanish American War heralded the beginning of significant change, once again, for the Chamorro people. The Americans brought not only a new style of governance with an emphasis on separation of church and state, but also imposed economic restrictions and issued many rules administered by an ever changing Naval administrator, most of whom only stayed for a year or two. Each naval governor had his own ideas about how things should be and ordered the Chamorros to comply. Chamorros were not U.S. citizens and had no recourse, as the Naval governor was also the court.
click to know more >>Puntan and Fu’una
Puntan and Fu’una, brother and sister, are the Chamorro creation gods. The account of their creation of the world constitutes one of the most important oral histories of the Chamorro people. According to the Chamorro people, a very long time ago, Puntan and Fu’una devised a plan in which their supernatural forces would be put to extremely powerful use.
click to know more >>Hafa Adai and Welcome!
Guampedia, Guam’s Online Encyclopedia, exists to inform a global audience of the unique history, culture, environment and present-day society of the Pacific Island of Guam.
Guampedia provides a comprehensive, accessible, quality resource that increases opportunities for greater understanding and knowledge about Guam by people everywhere.
Guampedia will always be a work in progress as history unfolds and technology allows.
Featured Content
Proa and Navigation
The Chamorro people made outrigger sailing vessels that flew like birds according to early visitors. Visitors to the islands in the 16th through 18th centuries were amazed by their speed and agility. read more
Latte
Latte is a Chamorro term that refers to stone pillars and cup-shaped capitals or capstones, which represent house supports and are ascribed to the ancient people of the Mariana Islands. read more
Timeline
