Hawaiian History |
A brief history of Hawaii 300AD ~ 1900
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| 300AD~ 1000AD |
A
fissure
more
than
1600
miles
long
on
the
floor
of
the
Pacific
Ocean
has
produced
the
Hawaiian
Ridge.
Along
the
top
of
this
ridge
protrude
the
individual
domes
that
are
the
Hawaiian
Islands.
Before
300AD
Hawaii
was
probably
used
as
a
base
for
peoples
with
a
trans-Pacific
contact
between
Asia
and
the
northwest
coast
of
South
America.
Around 300-500
AD Polynesians from the
South Pacific, probably the Marquesas Islands, found the Hawaiian Islands in double-hulled voyaging canoes. The first heiau was build on
the Big Island of Hawaii in 500AD and by 900AD all the
main Islands
were
occupied. Heiau
or
temples
were
used
to
worship
their
two
principal
gods,
KU,
god
of
war
and
LONO,
god
of
peace
and
agriculture. |
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| 1100AD~ 1777 |
 Tahitian explorers arrived in 1200AD
and not only conquered the Marquesasians but enslave them. The Tahitian
priest Pa'ao started the
"kahuna nui" or high-priest line which initiated
a ruling king for each island. From Tahiti, Pa'ao brought Pili who was
the father of the royal line leading to
Kamehameha
I. Social classes emerge
and the Hawaiian culture begins to form.
The
Hawaiians
ate
mostly
vegatables
and
poi
and
supplemented
their
diet
with
fish
and
over
30
varieties
of
native
limu
(seaweeds).
Noni
and
kukui
were
the
most
important
herbs
used
to
treat
many
different
ailments. |
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| 1778~ 1779 |
On
his third voyage into the Pacific,
the
great
explorer Captain James Cook, British commander of HMS Resolution and
HMS Discovery, on January 18, 1778
found
Oahu and Kauai.
He
was
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| 1790~ 1819 |
In 1791 rum is introduced to the Hawaiians
and in 1792 Captain George Vancouver brought cows from
California to Hawaii.
Kamehameha
I
became
the
ruler
of
the
Big
Island
of
Hawaii
in
1782.
In 1792 Kamehameha I conquered Maui, Lanai,
Molokai and Oahu.
In 1810 he
unified the Hawaiian Islands under a
single rule after
negotiating
a
peace
with
Kauai. He believed he was destined by
prophecy to unify the Islands and used western weapons to seize power.
He
shrewdly promoted trade with Europe and the United States. He died in 1819 in Kona. |
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| 1820~ 1824 |
Kamehameha II takes control in 1819 and
ordered
the
destruction of all
heiau and the end to the kapu (taboo) system, idol worship, and he
abolished the traditional Hawaiian religion. Kamehameha
II
formed
a
dual
rulership
with
his
wife,
Kamamalu,
that
lasted
5
years. Kamehameha II
sailed to
England and
died of measles with his queen
on July 14, 1824.
In
the
1820s
two
new
forces
entered
Hawaii:
the
Congregationalist missionaries
of
the
Calvinist
ideology
and
New
England
whalers.
The
missionaries
arrived
just
as
the
Hawaiians
were
abandoning
their
religious
system. |
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| 1813~ 1854 |
Kamehameha III proclaims the First Constitution which
includes freedom of worship. US President John Tyler recognizes the
Kingdom
of Hawaii in 1842. In 1845 the Hawaiian capital is moved from Lahaina to
Honolulu. In 1845 Kamehameha III
proclaims
the Great Mehele, changing
the concept of land
useage.
It converted traditional Hawaiian land
usage
(Ahupua'a) to fee-simple titles. Foreigners were permitted to
purchase land. Private estates were established.
By
1893
foreigners
controlled
90%
of
the
lands
of
Hawaii.
Contract labor system
was approved to bring foreign labor to the sugar and pineapple
fields. By
1840
the
forests
of
Hawaii,
Oahu,
Molokai
and
Kauai
were
stripped
of
mountain
sandalwood
trees,
one
of
the
world's
most
valuable
natural
products. |
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| 1854~ 1864 |
Kamehameha IV ascended to the throne after the death of
his uncle. He
and
his
wife
were responsible for establishing Queens Hospital for sick and destitute
Hawaiians. He translated the English Book of Common Prayer to his native
language. He only reigned nine years and died of chronic bouts of
asthma. |
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| 1865~ 1900 |
In 1865 the Hansen's Disease (leprosy) colony is established
at Kalawao, Molokai. In 1873 Father Damien de Veuster arrives on Molokai
to aid the Hansen's disease victims. 1868 saw the first Japanese
contract workers arrive in Hawaii. The first Portugese land in 1879. David Kalakaua "The Merry Monarch" was the first king in
history to Aloha Oe. "Thus
sweet
memories
come
back
to
me Farewell
to
thee,
Farewell
to
thee
(aloha
oe)
|
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Revised: Dec 2005.
thought
of
by
the
Hawaiians
as
the
reincarnation
of
Lono,
one
of
their
principal
gods.
He named
Hawaii the Sandwich Islands in honor of the Earl of Sandwich. He
returned to Hawaii a year later and dropped anchor in Kealakekua Bay on
the Big Island. Captain Cook was slain here on February 13, 1779 chasing
after a stolen rowboat.
Because
of
European
contact,
contagious
diseases
such
as
cholera,
measles
and
gonorrhea,
decimated
the
Hawaiian
population.
The
population
was
estimated
at
between
250,000
to
1
million
when
Captain
Cook
sailed
into
Kealakakua
in
1779.
By
1848
Hawaiians
numbered
88,000. 
visit the United States. The Merry Monarch
attempted to restore
Hawaiian traditions. Hawaii's
famous
hula
festival
held
every
April
in
Hilo
is
named
after
him.
Kalakaua died on a trip to San Francisco in 1891. His younger sister Liliuokalani took the throne. She wanted to
restore the power to the throne that was signed away by her
brother Kalakaua. She was deposed on January 17, 1893. The queen
authored a number of songs.
The best known
Hawaiian
song
ever
is