FSM HistoryLesson pack 7 of 10
Road to nationhood 1965–1979
Summary
Bethwel Henry of Pohnpei led the House of the Congress of Micronesia from 1966 to 1979, and Tosiwo Nakayama of Chuuk led its Senate for much of the 1970s. While talks with Washington went on, the Northern Marianas broke away in 1972, and in 1977 the US agreed to separate talks with the Marshalls and Palau. In July 1978 voters in Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap approved the new constitution, which took effect in May 1979, and Congress then elected Nakayama the first president.
Main topics: The Congress of Micronesia trained a political class; Status talks split the territory into four; The constitution won four districts and lost two; The federation began in May 1979.
Mini-timeline
| 1965 | (Jan 1965) The first elections to the Congress of Micronesia were held; Yap’s Francis Nuuan was among the first senators (1965–69). [Wikipedia, Congress of the TTPI] |
|---|---|
| 1967 | (Feb 1967) A second Peace Corps intake brought about 455 volunteers, roughly one per 195 Micronesians. [Marianas Variety, Peace Corps timeline] |
| 1969 | (13 Jan 1969) The new Congress met; Bethwel Henry was again elected Speaker and Amata Kabua Senate President. Ambilos Iehsi won a Ponape Senate by-election that month. [Wikipedia, 1968 election] |
| 1970 | (3 Nov 1970) Congress elections sent Ambilos Iehsi (Ponape), Andon Amaraich (Truk) and Petrus Tun (Yap) to the Senate. [Wikipedia, 1970 election] |
| 1972 | (Apr 1972) The Northern Marianas began separate commonwealth talks, starting Micronesia’s political fragmentation. [Jensen 2016] |
| 1972 | (26 Dec 1972) Former Yap senator Francis Nuuan died on Guam after being hit by a car. [Wikipedia, Francis Nuuan] |
| 1974 | (4 Jun 1974) Voters elected 42 Constitutional Convention delegates; the Marshalls opposed the convention, leaving two of its seats without candidates. [Wikipedia, 1974 Con-Con election] |
| 1975 | (1975) The college became the College of Micronesia system (COM-FSM catalog dating; Wikipedia gives 1976 merger or 1978 corporation). [COM-FSM catalog] |
| 1977 | (1977) Yapese leaders proposed restoring Bechiel village as the Maap Cultural Center under chief and master builder John Tamag. [Cultural Survival] |
| 1978 | (1978) A Congress act merged CCM, the Palau occupational center and the Saipan nursing school into the College of Micronesia public corporation. [Wikipedia, COM-FSM] |
| 1979 | (27 Mar 1979) Voters elected all 14 members of the first FSM Congress (four at-large senators and ten two-year members), all as independents. [Wikipedia, 1979 Micronesian general election] |
| 1979 | (1979) Total US federal assistance to the Trust Territory reached $138.7 million, about 60% of it for programs and capital projects. [Jensen 2016] |
Discussion questions
How did the Congress of Micronesia prepare a generation of leaders?
Why did the Trust Territory split into separate governments?
Compare the 1978 referendum results by district. What might explain the differences?
The Marshall Islands and Palau voted no in 1978. What earlier signs in 1972–1977 showed the territory was splitting?
What happened between the vote in July 1978 and the new government in May 1979?
Quiz
Circle one letter for each multiple-choice question. Write short answers on the lines. For ordering questions, fill the boxes in order, earliest first.
Who was Speaker of the House of the Congress of Micronesia from 1966 to 1979?
- A Bethwel Henry of Pohnpei
- B Tosiwo Nakayama of Chuuk
- C Petrus Tun of Yap
- D Andon Amaraich of Chuuk
In the July 1978 constitutional referendum, which district gave the strongest “yes” vote, and which of the four approving districts gave the weakest?
Put these in order, earliest first:
- A The US first agrees to separate talks with the Marshalls and Palau
- B The Constitutional Convention opens in Saipan
- C The Northern Marianas break away to seek commonwealth status
Earliest Latest
What happened on 11 May and 15 May 1979?
Source question One source says the FSM Constitution took effect on 19 May 1979, but the site says 10 May. Why does the site prefer 10 May?