Origins

The rich history of the islands of Hawaii and the Hawaiian people date back to when the Polynesians arrived from Tahiti between the years of 300 - 750 A.D; at least a thousand years before the American colonies first became a nation in 1776. Not much is known of the details of events happening from the time of the arrival of the Polynesians until January 20, 1778, which marks the arrival of Captain James Cook, the first European in Hawaii.

According to archaeological discoveries and the Hawaiian language, the islands were settled by two distinct waves of migration from Polynesia. The knowledge of navigation that the Polynesians had at this time were superior to those of all other seamen. They discovered Hawaii by sailing out in outrigger canoes and trusting to their knowledge of the sky, the stars, the ocean and its currents, the migration of birds, and many other natural signs.

King Kamehameha the Great

Hawaiian society at the time was that of a highly stratified caste system. This strong pyramid structure was apparent in the small kingdoms that were scattered among all the islands. They were often at war with one another and it was not until 1810 that they were united into one kingdom ruled by King Kamehameha.

Soon after the arrival of Captain James Cook and after the Hawaiian islands were under the rule of King Kamehameha, Europeans started to come into the country. They brought with them many domestic animals and plants never seen before. The first pineapples were brought in from Spain in 1813 and in 1816, coffee was first planted. Unfortunately, they also brought in diseases that the Hawaiians were not immune to and many people began to die at an alarming rate. A lot of the traditional way of life started to disappear as the islands became westernized.

The Kapu System

It was during the first king's reign that his favorite wife, Queen Kaahumanu, overthrew the ancient Kapu System in league with the king's mother, Keopuolani. The Kapu System at this time (Kapu - taboo meaning sacred or prohibited) kept the caste system strongly in place. Those who did not follow its rules were swiftly punished by death. At the top of the pyramid was the king who had a chief minister and a high priest. Ali'i or chiefs, whose power was determined by their ancestral lineage and prowess, were subject to the whim of the king. Below the chiefs were the persons trained in the memorization of genealogies. In temporal power, the kahuna or priest and craftsmen were below although in spiritual power, the priests were above the chiefs. The commoners made up the majority of the people and at the bottom of the pyramid were the kauwa or outcasts.

Arrival of the Missionaries

In 1820, the first American Protestant missionaries arrived from New England. Led by Reverend Hiram Bingham, they organized schools and churches. They developed the written form of the Hawaiian language to translate the Bible and so that the people could read and write their own language. By 1831, they had about 52,000 students enrolled in their schools. Their teachings quickly made inroads into the old traditions of the Hawaiian people and they helped pave the way for Hawaii to become an independent nation.

The Constitution of Hawaii

During the reign of King Kamehameha III, the first Hawaii constitution of the kingdom was established and by 1842, they were recognized by the United States as an independent nation. In 1848, King Kamehameha II signed The Great Mahele which allowed commoners and haoles (Hawaiian word for the Europeans/white people) to own land. On August 31, 1850, Honolulu was declared a city on the island of Oahu.

With foreign residents starting to grow in numbers, many new problems concerning trade, credit, land titles, and other complications came up. All this made this period of history a difficult time for simple Hawaii as these were unknown until just a few generations earlier. During the reign of King Kamehameha V, agitation among the sugar planters to be annexed to the United States to protect their trade threatened the independence of Hawaii. Distrust of the haoles by the native Hawaiians began to grow and in 1866, a fist fight broke out in the Legislature between the members. The Legislature at this time was at an unusual impasse with the haoles refusing to speak the official Hawaiian language and the native Hawaiians refusing to speak English.

King Kalakaua the "Merry Monarch"

In 1874, King David Kalakaua, known as the "Merry Monarch," was elected by the Hawaiian legislature winning against his rival for the throne, Queen Emma. King Kalakaua favored the native Hawaiians while trying to maintain the peace by sincerely insisting that there was room in Hawaii for all kinds of people. At Washington, he received the honor of being the only king to be asked to speak before a joint session of Congress. Unfortunately though, he lost his voice because of a cold and so his speech was read out by Chancellor Allen. This trip helped in the relationship with the haoles, but caused distrust among the Hawaiians. He placated the people by making a tour of the islands and speaking about his trip to the United States.

In 1861, Kalakaua started up the first Hawaiian language newspaper, the Ka Hoku A Ka Pakipaki (Star of the Pacific). He filled up the editorial pages with histories of Hawaii, legends, mele, and genealogies. It was the paper for the “common people” and was promoting the culture, tradition, and language of Hawaii. To give the Hawaiian people a reason to live and to break through the veneer of the haole culture, he decided to bring up the Hawaiian past. He called forth the banished kahuna who held the history, tradition, culture, and genealogy of the past. He brought back the hula, the mele, and the oli and brought in education that would make the young men in his country into statesmen, but at the same time know the games and arts of Hawaii. Without him, many of the things known in Hawaii, the Iolani Palace, the Kamehameha I statue, the coronation, Hawaiian music, sports, remnants of Hawaiian culture and heritage, and maybe even the nationalistic spirit of the people, would not be here now.

Despite his efforts, towards the end of his reign in 1887, the Americans and other foreigners forced on a new constitution restricting the king's power making him into a figurehead.

Queen Liliuokalani - the First Queen and the Last Monarch

Queen Liliuokalani assumed the throne after the death of her brother, King Kalakaua in 1891 and fought strongly against annexation wanting to restore the monarchy to its original powers. Her rule was short-lived though and two years later, she was overthrown in 1893. She continued to fight against annexation of the islands by the United States through the movement, Oni pa’a (“Stand Firm”) whose motto was “Hawaii for the Hawaiians.” This did not stop the inevitable and President McKinley signed the resolution of the annexation in 1898. That same year, Liliuokalani composed the song Aloha Oe (“Farewell to Thee”) “ever afterward beloved in the islands.” She wrote many other songs as well which are well known even today. She also published her life’s story, “Hawaii’s Story by Hawaii’s Queen” in the same year. It was not until 1900 that Hawaii became a territory of the United States and then the 50th state in 1859. This brought about a new era to the islands, the age of tourism.