That One Time Russians Were Supposed to Invade Hawaii

The field doesn't look like much today-just a big empty lot with some dirt roads and dried grass.

But almost exactly two hundred years ago, this is where Fort Elizabeth was being constructed as a permanent residence for Russians in Hawaii.

Its remains are a reminder of the failed yet valiant effort in 1816 of King Kaumualii, Kauai's High Chief, to link up with the Russians, push back against his superior King Kamehameha and conquer the islands for himself.

The Russians had been passing through Hawaii for more than a decade at that point, trading furs from their outposts in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest for sandalwood and other supplies. They sprinkled their influence where they could (Americans were also doing business in Hawaii at this time), and historical records tell us they contemplated conquering Hawaii over the years.

But for the most part, they stuck to their trade business, coming and going for more than a decade between 1804 and 1815 without too much of a fuss.

The next series of events would change all that when a Russian vessel shipwrecked off the coast of Kauai near Waimea.

King Kaumualii had surrendered to Kamehameha in 1810 but maintained rule over Kauai as part of the deal. As the shipwreck was in his waters, he confiscated it and its goods. The Russians responded by sending a surgeon named Georg Schaffer as a diplomat to sort things out.

Schaffer sailed to Kauai, where he met with Kaumualii. They worked out retributions for the ship, but Schaffer was also able to tap into something more: Kaumualii wanted revenge.

They agreed to a "secret treaty" that would allow the Russians to build forts on Kauai. In return, the Russians would assist him in taking on Kamehameha and conquering Oahu, Lanai, Maui and Molokai.

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The deal was officially on, and Schaffer went about setting up shop on Kauai, building Fort Elizabeth near Waimea-which is preserved as a State Park today-as well as Fort Alexander and Fort Barclay near Hanalei.

But before he and Kaumualii could work out a plan for capturing the islands, his true intentions were exposed.

Turns out, while Schaffer had the support of Russia to retrieve the ship and drum up trade, colonizing the islands was something he had dreamed up himself, not something the Russians actually had an interest in. When Kamehameha was tipped off about Schaffer's ambition and that he was building forts on Kauai, he ordered Kaumualii to evict him at once-or else.

Although conflict was what Kaumualii hoped for, he was powerless against Kamehameha on his own. Learning that Schaffer really had no backing from Russia-that he was a liar-he threw him and his men off the island.

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Today, the remains of Fort Elizabeth serve as the only significant reminder of Schaffer's presence on Kauai. It is open to the public and preserved as a State Park.

Both Fort Alexander and Fort Barclay were destroyed by Hawaiians during a revolt against the Russian presence in 1817.

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