Hawaii's History
[ top ]

Hawaiian history began when the Polynesians from Marquesas and Tahiti arrived on the islands between 500 and 900 A.D. They brought their families, household possession and their religions. The early settlers lived a Stone Age life, making tapa (unwoven cloth made from tree bark), canoes and grass houses and subsisting on fish, taro, fruits and vegetables. A chief ruled each island. The commoners, mainly farmers and fisherman, paid for the protection of the chief with a percentage of their crop or daily catch. For more than a thousand years the islanders were undisturbed by an outside world. Occasional castaways reaching the islands during this period never returned to their homelands to tell of their discovery.

On January 20, 1778, Capt. James Cook, sailing under the auspices of the Earl of Sandwich, landed his two ships at Waimea on Kauai. Welcomed by natives, he spent two weeks exploring Kauai and Niihau. Cook named the island the Sandwich Islands after his patron before setting sail for the northern Pacific region. A year later, the captain returned to concentrate on exploring the Big Island of Hawaii. Islanders killed Cook after they seized one of his ships and burned it for the iron nails and other supplies. The remaining crews buried Cook at sea and returned home. It took seven years for British ships to return to Hawaii. American and British missionaries, traders, and whalers changed Hawaii's culture forever. In addition to Christianity, the newcomers introduced agriculture, commerce, and constitutional government. The newcomer's arrival had one tragic side effect: The Hawaiians had no resistance to Western diseases. Within 100 years of Cook's arrival, the native population had been decimated.

The missionaries' influence was not limited to religion; their efforts also were evident in the political arena. By the time Kamehameha III ascended the throne in 1827, foreign sailors and planters were already disputing the legitimacy of Hawaiian rule. The missionaries had William Richards released from his duties to assist Kamehameha III pass the Declaration of Rights and the Edict of Toleration in 1839. IN 1842, the United States recognized Hawaii as an independent nation.

Once annexed, Hawaii became the United States chief defense bastion I the Pacific Ocean. On December 7, 1941, WWII began for the United States with the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese and other locations on Oahu.

Following numerous disappointing attempts, statehood for Hawaii finally won congressional approval in March 1959. President Eisnhower's signature to the statehood bill on August 21, 1959, officially made Hawaii the nation's 50th state.

[ top ]

Hawaii's Geography
[ top ]

Born of volcanic fires and glowing lava, the Hawaiian Islands emerged from the waters of the Pacific millions of years ago. The state of Hawaii includes about 125 islands and islets, extending from Kure Island to Hawaii. The familiar eight major islands are called the High Islands; the rest, mostly uninhabited lava reefs and coral shoals, called Leeward Islands, constitute the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

[ Top ]

Hawaii's Recreation
[ top ]

Every Hawaiian island has public swimming beaches. Colorful offshore reefs beckon scuba diving and snorkeling enthusiasts; the warm Pacific offers sailing, catamaran cruises and outrigger canoe rides. Surfing is excellent in Hawaii, which claims to have the best waves in the world. Bodysurfing also is popular, although you should check with lifeguards about surf conditions before taking the plunge. For terra firma recreation, there are golf courses, tennis courts, hiking trails, fishing preserves and camping.

[ Top ]