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Charles Brainard Taylor Moore

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Charles Brainard Taylor Moore
Born1853
Decatur, Illinois
DiedApril 4, 1923 (aged 70)
Philadelphia Naval Hospital
Allegiance United States
Service / branch United States Navy
Years of service1873 - 1915
RankRear Admiral

Charles Brainard Taylor Moore (1853 – April 4, 1923) was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy and Naval Governor of American Samoa from 1905 to 1908. Taylor was born in Decatur, Illinois.[1] He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1873. Moore was the first Governor of American Samoa to receive a formal appointment from the President of the United States. He established the Annual Meetings of the Territory, allowing traditional leaders to discuss topics of interest with the Governor and offer suggestions. These meetings marked the first time that Tutuila Island and the Manuʻa Islands convened as a unified government under the same authority. Drawing inspiration from Governor Wilhelm Solf's success in Western Samoa, Moore requested the U.S. Navy to extend governors' terms to four years, but this was denied. However, he was allowed to serve nearly three and a half years, longer than any other Navy Governor except John Martin Poyer. Moore advanced legislative authority for American Samoans and enacted more territorial laws than his predecessors. He abolished the customs of auosoga and faamasei’au and drafted the first matai law, ensuring matai titles were registered and disputes were legally resolved. In 1907, he made the first appropriation requests from Washington, D.C., seeking $6,000 for schools, $6,000 for hospitals, and $5,000 for roads.[2]

He died at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital, on April 4, 1923.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "The Political Graveyard: Moore, C to D". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved 6 September 2010.
  2. ^ Sunia, Fofō Iosefa Fiti (2001). Puputoa: Host of Heroes - A record of the history makers in the First Century of American Samoa, 1900-2000. Suva, Fiji: Oceania Printers. Pages 98-99. ISBN 9829036022.