Samuel Hill (sea captain)

Samuel Hill
BornFebruary 20, 1777
Machias, Massachusetts
DiedSeptember 1, 1825
Boston
Occupation(s)Maritime fur trader, merchant sea captain

Samuel Hill (February 20, 1777 – September 1, 1825) was an American merchant sea captain and adventurer. He commanded various ships on many long voyages, often to remote parts of the world.

As one of the early maritime fur traders he rescued John R. Jewitt, who had been enslaved by the Nuu-chah-nulth chief Maquinna. Hill was the first American to live in Japan, almost met Lewis and Clark near Fort Clatsop and received a letter from them, entertained King Kamehameha of the Hawaiian Kingdom on his ship, was involved in the Chilean War of Independence, was imprisoned by the British during the War of 1812, rescued victims of Malayan pirates, and much else. He was also a rapist and murderer.[1] Accounts of Hill by officers serving under him and by other captains consistently describe him as a vicious and unstable tyrant.[2][3]

  1. ^ Malloy, Mary (2006). Devil on the deep blue sea: The notorious career of Captain Samuel Hill of Boston. Bullbrier Press. pp. 7–9. ISBN 978-0-9722854-1-4.
  2. ^ Malloy, Mary (1998). "Boston Men" on the Northwest Coast: The American Maritime Fur Trade 1788-1844. The Limestone Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-1-895901-18-4. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  3. ^ Gibson, James R. (1999). Otter Skins, Boston Ships and China Goods: The Maritime Fur Trade of the Northwest Coast, 1785-1841. Seattle: University of Washington Press. pp. 160–162. ISBN 978-0-7735-2028-8. Retrieved April 9, 2020.