| Guam was first discovered and inhabited
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| | by the subsequent Treaty of Paris which
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| by sea-faring people who came from Asia
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| | ended the war. (Spain later sold the
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| (possibly Indonesia or the Philippines),
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| | Northern Mariana Islands to Germany).
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| around about 2000 BC. These people, the
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| | During World War II, Japanese forces
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| Chamorros, developed a complex society,
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| | invaded the islands and subjected them to
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| and traded with other islands in
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| | a brutal 31-month occupation. The islands
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| Micronesia.
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| | were eventually recaptured in the Battle
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| On March 6th, 1521, the first Europeans
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| | of Guam which took place between July
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| arrived: Ferdinand Magellan's ships, on
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| | 21st and August 10th of 1944
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| their expedition to circumnavigate the
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| | Following World War II, a series of acts
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| globe. The Chamarros natives of the
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| | relaxed the U.S. administration of Guam,
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| islands welcomed the Spanish with food
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| | established the island as an
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| and drink. The Chamarros expected to be
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| | unincorporated organized territory of the
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| paid, whereas the Europeans believed
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| | United States, granted US citizenship to
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| these supplies to be gifts, so the
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| | all persons born on Guam since 1899,
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| Chamarros stole iron from the decks of
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| | allowed a non-voting Guam delegate in the
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| the Spanish ships. The Spanish retaliated
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| | US House of Representatives, and allowed
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| by killing several islanders and burning
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| | the islanders to elect their own governor
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| homes. Magellan consequently named Guam
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| | and lieutenant governor. In 1982, Guam
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| and the other Mariana Islands, "Las Islas
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| | residents overwhelmingly voted for a
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| de los Ladrones" (The Islands of
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| | closer relationship with the United
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| Thieves).
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| | States as a Commonwealth. However,
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| In 1667, Spain claimed the islands and
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| | progress towards implementing the
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| established a colony there. In 1668,
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| | decision has been slow.
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| Padre San Vitores, the first Spanish
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| | In recent years, Guam has suffered a
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| missionary, arrived. He renamed the
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| | number of setbacks, including the 1990s
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| islands "Las Marianas" after Mariana of
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| | Asian economic crisis, and September 11th
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| Austria, widow of King Philip IV of
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| | attacks, damaging the tourism industry,
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| Spain, and remained on the islands until
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| | the 1990s military cutbacks affecting the
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| his murder in 1672.
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| | military-dependant part of the island's
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| On June 21st, 1898, Guam was captured by
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| | economy, and the supertyphoons Paka in
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| US forces during the Spanish-American
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| | 1997, and Pongsona in 2002.
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| war, and was ceded to the United States
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