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Looking at the Hawaiian Islands, you may ask yourself, "how did explorers centuries ago ever find these tiny islands in such a vast ocean?" You might be surprised to find that the early
Polynesians discovered Hawaii through impressive feats of celestial navigation. These brave explorers crossed the uncharted ocean in huge sailing canoes, using the stars, winds and currents as
navigational aids.
They arrived in Hawaii with their families, animals, plants,a nd everything they needed to survive in an uninhabited island. In 1778, British navigator Captain James Cook "discovered" the
Hawaiian Islands. He found that each island was its own kingdom, organized in a feudal manner with chiefs, priests and commoners. By 1810, Kamehameha I, King of Hawaii Island, had united
all of the Hawaiian Islands. He and his descendants reigned until 1872 and were followed by other families.
In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani was overthrown by prominent businessmen
and the U.S. military. Hawaii was suddenly under the jurisdiction of an United Stae provisionary government. The Republic of Hawaii came into existence on July 4, 1894, with Sanford B. Dole, a
missionary descendant, as president. The islands were annexed by the United States in 1898 and made a territory in 1900.
Hawaii's "melting pot" society can be attributed to many factors.
Immediately following Captain Cook, traders and whalers stopped here to rest and replenish provisions, bringing with them Western culture and technology. Companies of missionaries arrived from New England in 1820
and introduced island society to Christianity and the printed word and helped make Hawaiian a written language.
As sugarcane and pineapple plantations proliferated, thousands of immigrant laborers from
China, Portugal, Japan, and the Philippines were brought into work the land. They brought with them their customs and traditions, all of which helped shape modern Hawaiian society.
Between annexation and World War II, sugar and pineapple industries flourished and the numbr of immigrants brought in to work the plantations increased. The military's interest in he islands resulted in the
constructionof numerous bases, including the huge Naval base at Pearl Harbor, the site of the Dec. 7, 1941, surprise attack by the Japanese. Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959, ending the
campaign for statehood that had had begun at the turn of the century. Today Hawaii's population exceeds one million and Honolulu is the country's 11th largest city. Unique in so many ways, our islands offer
endless opportunity for informative exploration, sightseeing and cultural enrichment.. |
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