HISTORY OF HAWAII

700-900 - Polynesians from the Marquesas/Tahiti traveled to Hawaii using large double-hulled canoes and brought with them pigs, dogs, chickens, taro, sweet potatoes, coconut, banana, sugarcane and more.

1778 – Captain James Cook, the first known European to arrive in the Islands, landed in Kauai and Niihau

1810 – Hawaii was united by King Kamehameha I (aka “Kamehameha the Great”). Already having the Big Island under his rule, he then conquered Maui, Lanai and Molokai. Then, by driving the O’ahu defenders into Nuuanu Valley and forcing them to surrender or be pushed over the Nuuanu Pali cliffs,Kamehameha the Great conquered O’ahu in 1795. By 1810, Kauai and Niihau agreed to join the kingdom officially uniting all Hawaiian islands.

1813 – The first pineapple plants were introduced from Spain

1817 – Coffee is planted for the first time

1819 – King Kamehameha the Great dies and Liholiho (Kamehameha II) became King when he was 22 years old. Under his rule, the kapu, a system that ruled life in the islands, was abolished after LihoLiho, encouraged by his mother, Keopuolani, and Queen Kaahumanu (Kamehameha the Great’s favorite wife), sat down and ate with women which was one of Hawaii’s most serious prohibitions. It was the demise of their entire belief system. The ancient gods were abandoned as temples were dismantled and idols were burned.

1820 – American missionaries arrived in Hawaii bringing with them not only their religion but their political and social views. The missionaries introduced Christianity to the Hawaiian people and taught them to read and write. It’s been said that, at that time, the Hawaiians received a higher rate of literacy than that in the United States. Many of the missionaries and their descendents became active in business and began to control the local economy. Economic power begets political power resulting in many of the missionaries descents remaining prominent in island society, business and politics today. During this same time, the missionaries denounced the hula as a heathen dance and, as a result, the ali’i (the Hawaiian royalty and nobility) were urged to ban the hula – which they did, but many of them privately continued the hula.

1825 – King Kamehameha II died in 1824 after contracting the measles while touring England and was succeeded by Kauikeauoli (Kamehameha III) in 1825 at the age of 10. His reign spanned 29 years, the longest of any Hawaiian monarch, but, it was probably the most difficult period in Hawaii’s history. However, during his reign, King Kamehameha III established a declaration of rights, Hawaii’s first constitution, judicial and executive branches of government and the Mahele of 1848 which was followed in 1850 with the Kuleana Act which established fee simple land of ownership (a concept still used today). In a speech King Kamehameha III delivered in 1843 celebrating the return of sovereignty to the Hawaiian Kingdom, he said, “Ua mau ke ea o ka’aina i ka pono (the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness). These precious words live on today as the state’s motto.

1840 – The 1840 Constitution, the first constitution of Hawaii, was established by King Kamehameha III

1844 – Construction begins on Washington Place – a Greek revival home located in Honolulu, Hawaii – formally the official residence of the Governor of Hawaii. The home was originally built for John Dominis, an American Merchant, and his wife Mary. Unfortunately, as the house was nearing completion, John was lost at sea. From 1849-1854, William Little Lee, an author of the Great Mahele, called Washington Place his home. Then, in 1862, Washington Place became the home of Queen Lili’uokalani and her husband, John Owen Dominis, the son of John and Mary Dominis. In 1893, it was the site of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. Once released from her confinement in ‘Iolani Palace, Queen Liliuokalani lived the remainder of her life at Washington Palace until her death in 1917. From 1918 thru 2002, Washington Palace was the home of several Governors of Hawaii. In 2002, the home became a historic house museum and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1852 – The first Chinese contract laborers arrive in Hawaii

1853 – Alexander Liholiho (King Kamehameha IV) was declared heir-apparent to the throne. With the large influx of foreign travelers and transplants and despite inoculations, the Hawaiian population continued to decrease due to foreign disease. In response, King Kamehameha IV and his wife, Emma Naea Rooke, established Queen’s Hosptial in 1859. They also helped establish the Anglican Church in Hawaii and King Kamehameha translated the Book of Common Prayer into Hawaiian. King Kamehameha died suffering from asthma in 1863 at the age of 29.

1863 – King Kamehameha IV’s older brother, Lot (King Kamehameha V), became heir-apparent to the throne. He traveled to California and British Columbia and promoted the cattle industry in Hawaii and founded the Moloka’i Ranch. He wrote a new constitution in 1864 that returned some power to the monarchy by not requiring the monarch to seek advice and counsel from the nobles and by making the cabinet directly subject to the King.

1864 – King Kamehameha V sells the island of Ni’ihau to the Sinclair-Robinson family for $10,000

1872 – The last King of the Kamehameha reign, King Kamehameha V, dies. Before he dies, he asks Bernice Pauahi Bishop (a great-granddaughter of King Kamehameha I), to take the throne but she declines. Hawaii is without a successor to the throne and, as a result, the constitution dictates that an election is needed to determine the next monarch.

1873 – William Charles Lunalilo is elected as Hawaii’s new ruler. He easily beat his opponent, David Kalakaua. Lunalilo was a grandson of Kamehameha I’s half-brother. Lunalilo amended the constitution of 1864 and abolished property requirements for voting. He died in 1874 of tuberculosis and alcoholism. He left his property to establish the Lunalilo Home, a haven for poor, elderly and infirmed Hawaiians.

1874 – In Hawaii’s second election, David Kalakaua won handedly. Kalakaua was educated at the Royal School and held positions in the palace under King Kamehameha IV’s reign and served 13 years in the legislature. Kalakaua traveled extensively around the world and, secured a reciprocity trade treaty while visiting Washington D.C. The treaty allowed sugar and rice to be admitted to the United States tax-free. Kalakaua brought back hula during his reign and displayed it during the celebrations he hosted. In 1883, he built ‘Iolani palace, the only royal palace in the United States, at a cost of $350,000. As Hawaii’s economy flourished, business interests wanting more control forced Kalakaua to sign the “Bayonet Constitution” in 1887 which reduced his power to that of a figurehead and deprived most native Hawaiians of their voting rights. Kalakaua’s health began to fail in 1890, at his physician’s advice, he sailed to San Francisco but, unfortunately, his health worsened and he died in 1891.

1877 – Portuguese laborers begin to arrive in Hawaii

1880 – Castle & Cook recruit Norwegians to come to Hawaii

1881 – German immigrants are recruited to come to Hawaii

1885 – The first contract laborers from Japan arrive to work on sugar cane plantations

1891 – Upon King David Kalakaua’s death, his sister, Princess Lili’uokalani, becomes the Queen. Queen Lili’uokalani was educated at the Royal School, was fluent in English and was a gifted musician and composer. "Aloha `Oe," Lili`uokalani's most famous song, was inspired by a horseback trip she took in 1877 to the windward side of O`ahu. After visiting the Boyd ranch in Maunawili, Lili`uokalani witnessed a farewell embrace between Colonel James Boyd and one of the young ranch ladies. A tune came to her on the ride home and she composed the words once she returned to Washington Place. Shortly after being announced as Queen, she tried unsuccessfully to reinstate the powers of the monarchy stripped away by the “Bayonet Constitution”. Her persistence in the matter resulted in a group of American businessmen organizing the “Committee of Safety” which staged a coup on January 17, 1893 resulting in Queen Lili’uokalani surrendering the Kingdom to the United States under protest but still hopeful that the President of the United States, President Cleveland, would right the situation. Later in 1893, the President’s administration concluded that the overthrow of Lili’uokalani was illegal and offered to give her back the throne. She initially refused but later changed her mind. Upon her initial refusal, President Cleveland sent the issue to Congress which then submitted the Morgan Report which exonerated Minister John L. Stevens and the U.S. troops from any responsibility of the overthrow. In 1895, After a failed rebellion by Robert Wilcox, a native Hawaiian soldier and delegate to the United States Congress, firearms were found in the gardens of Queen Lili’uokalani’s home and she was then sentenced to imprisonment in her upstairs bedroom of ‘Iolani Palace and was released the following year. She abdicated her throne to obtain amnesty for the Hawaiian rebels. She lived the remainder of her life as a private citizen at Washington Place

1893 – Queen Liliuokalani surrenders the Kingdom to the United States under protest

1894 – The Republic of Hawaii was proclaimed and immediately recognized by the U.S. government. Sanford B. Dole, cousin to the pineapple magnate James Dole, was appointed President of the Republic.

1895 – Queen Liliuokalani abdicates her throne

1898 – Hawaii is annexed to the United States

1900 – Hawaii becomes a Unites States territory. The first Puerto Rican workers arrive in Hawaii.

1902 – Korean laborers arrive in Hawaii.

1905 – Philippine laborers arrive in Hawaii.

1941 – Japan bombs Pearl Harbor on December 7^th and the United States enters World War II

1959 – Hawaii becomes the 50^th state of the United States

References: www.hawaiian-roots.com www.hawaiihistory.org www.hawaiischoolreports.com/history.htm www.wikipedia.org