Carolinian: 1815 arrival

The Spanish had a strict religious rule over the Chamorro inhabitants of Saipan and the other Northern Mariana Islands. So much so that the entire population was transported to Guam where the Spanish could keep a watchful eye on the Chamorros and force them to attend church. At this time in 1815, Carolinians from the outer islands of Micronesia sailed North and discovered the abandoned island of Saipan. In fact, it was the Carolinians who named Saipan. Sai means fleet and Pan means empty. Therefore the translation of the name Saipan is, the fleet to the empty place.

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