The closing minutes preview the Paulet Affair of 1843. Britain had no desire to retain Hawaii, so Pacific Station commander Richard Darton Thomas had to reverse the occupation without making Britain appear weak or inviting an exaggerated American claim of coercion. Thomas arrived aboard HMS Dublin, a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line launched in 1812. USS United States and USS Constellation were capable frigates, but they did not give the Americans overwhelming local force. Thomas secured concessions addressing the dispute and restored positive relations. The episode shows how a naval officer could de-escalate an imperial crisis without sacrificing national prestige.
Notable Point · 1:18:08-1:22:08
The Paulet Affair as a lesson in naval diplomacy
The closing preview explains how Rear Admiral Richard Darton Thomas ended Britain's occupation of Hawaii while preserving British prestige and containing American triumphalism.