History of Hawaii

The exact date is unknown and probably will remain so forever. But sometime after the beginning of the Christian era, Polynesians first set foot on these islands. Linguistic and cultural evidence suggest that the first inhabitants came from the Marquesas Group, to the north of Tahiti.  During the 13th and 14th centuries, waves of immigrants from Tahiti overwhelmed and absorbed the original people. Since the earliest Hawaiians were possibly somewhat smaller than the later immigrants, they may form the basis for the legends of the menehunes, who were pictured by the later Hawaiians as hardworking elves.  Captain James Cook, the great Pacific explorer, happened upon the islands during his third voyage in 1778. Hawaii's long isolation ended at that moment. Soon, King Kamehameha the Great embarked on his successful campaign to unite the islands into one kingdom. At about the same time, Hawaii assumed importance in the east-west fur trade and later as the center for the Pacific whaling industry. In 1820, the brig Thaddeus from Boston arrived with the first missionary families.  Change came at a rapid pace as both education and commerce assumed growing importance. The old Hawaiian culture disappeared rapidly under the onslaught of new ways, new peoples, and new diseases, to which the previously isolated Hawaiians were all too susceptible. Whaling and the provisioning of the whaling fleet brought new money to the island economy. At times, as many as 500 whaling ships wintered in Hawaiian ports, principally Lahaina and Honolulu.  In 1835, the first commercial production of sugar cane began and this crop took on ever-increasing economic importance, especially after the decline of the great whaling fleets. Native Hawaiians did not take kindly to the tedious labor of a plantation worker and, in any case, the native population had been seriously depleted by disease. Thus, there began the importation of labor from Asia and the Philippines and other areas of the world. It is this varied population that gave rise to the immense variety of Hawaii's present inhabitants.  Threatened constantly by European nations eager to add Hawaii to their empires, sugar planters and American businessmen began to seek annexation by the United State. This, too, would give them the advantages of a sugar market free of tariff duties. Finally, a treaty of reciprocity was negotiated in 1875 and this brought new prosperity to Hawaii. American wealth poured into the islands seeking investment.  Political control by Hawaiian royalty and the growing influence of Americans began to cause conflict. In 1889, there was an uprising of the native islanders against the constitution which had been forced on King Kalakaua two years earlier. The rebellion was suppressed.  In 1893, with Queen Liliuokalani on the throne, the Americans formed a Committee of Safety and declared the monarchy ended. In 1894, the Republic of Hawaii was established. On August 12, 1898, the government of the Republic transferred sovereignty to the United States. Hawaii became a territory of the United States in 1900.  The pattern of growth then began to accelerate even more rapidly. The U.S. Navy set up its giant Pacific headquarters at Pearl Harbor and the Army built a huge garrison at Schofield Barracks. Pineapple, other crops, cattle ranching, and tourism slowly began to take on greater importance in the island economy.  The attack on Pearl Harbor marked America's entry into World War II and Hawaii and its citizens played a major role in the conflict.  The postwar period saw many rapid changes with the descendants of plantation laborers rising to the highest prominent in business, labor, and government.  Hawaii proved eager to take on the full responsibilities of statehood. Under the leadership of Hawaii's last delegate to Congress, John A. Burns, the 86th Congress approved statehood and the bill was signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on March 18, 1959. Hawaii was admitted as the 50th state of the union on August 21, 1959.

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