Enos vs. Sowle : A Case of Sex, Politics and Morality
Faculty Sponsor(s)
Lissa Wadewitz
Location
Jereld R. Nicholson Library: Grand Avenue
Subject Area
History
Description
In the year 1860, Captain Sowle was accused of sodomy against two of his cabin boys, Manuel Enos and Manuel Viera. In Honolulu, Hawaii, he was tried and convicted by the Admiralty court of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Chief Justices Elisha Allen and George Robertson. This is a rare and unique case because not only was an American captain publicly accused of sodomy, but he was also actually tried and convicted by a foreign court. Revelatory in more than one way, this case brings to light the political tensions between the U.S. consulate and the Kingdom of Hawaii as well as Hawaii’s concerns of its future. It also explores legal issues involved in nineteenth century U.S.–Hawaii relations, same-sex relationships on the high seas, and issues related to that of race and morality.
Recommended Citation
Nguyen, Jennifer; Wadewitz, Lissa; and Teoh, Sheryl, "Enos vs. Sowle
: A Case of Sex, Politics and Morality" (2016). Linfield University Student Symposium: A Celebration of Scholarship and Creative Achievement. Event. Submission 32.
https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/symposium/2016/all/32
Enos vs. Sowle : A Case of Sex, Politics and Morality
Jereld R. Nicholson Library: Grand Avenue
In the year 1860, Captain Sowle was accused of sodomy against two of his cabin boys, Manuel Enos and Manuel Viera. In Honolulu, Hawaii, he was tried and convicted by the Admiralty court of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Chief Justices Elisha Allen and George Robertson. This is a rare and unique case because not only was an American captain publicly accused of sodomy, but he was also actually tried and convicted by a foreign court. Revelatory in more than one way, this case brings to light the political tensions between the U.S. consulate and the Kingdom of Hawaii as well as Hawaii’s concerns of its future. It also explores legal issues involved in nineteenth century U.S.–Hawaii relations, same-sex relationships on the high seas, and issues related to that of race and morality.
