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A Place in the Sun An Overview of Hawaii's History
Colorful characters and momentous events give
the Islands a storied past
Ever since a group of intrepid
mariners arrived in Hawaii from the Marquesas 1,500 years ago, a
successive stream of voyagers, warriors, settlers, missionaries,
laborers and now tourists have been drawn to these beguiling
islands.
However different their motives, these many
travelers have had one thing in common: they stayed, creating a
vibrant tapestry of peoples that is as much East as West, a
place that is familiar yet foreign at the same time. The stories
of the different peoples who
Lava Flowing into the Ocean photo: HVCB/Kirk Lee Aeder
make up modern-day Hawaii are as colorful as
the Islands’ dramatic landscapes, which is fitting, because
before any of them, there were the Islands themselves.
Children of the earth mother, Haumea, and siblings of
Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire, the eight main islands were born
over the eons as volcanoes burst forth from the middle of a great
tectonic plate. As the Pacific Plate continued to move in a northwest
direction, each new island was born, so that today these “siblings”
represent a different stage in island development; a living laboratory
showcasing Pele’s power. Starting with the youngest island Hawaii’s, Big
Island, and moving northwest to the oldest, Kauai, each sister island
grows lower and more angular, forged and sculpted by time and the
elements.
Qualifying as one of the world’s most remote island
chains, Hawaii sat barren for millenniums, slowly attracting a variety
of flora and fauna that arrived via the sea, winds and migratory birds.
When the first Hawaiians arrived, they found the lush valleys, vivid
green escarpments and pristine beaches we know today. What they didn’t
find were many things we assume are native to Hawaii: pineapple,
plumeria, orchids and mangoes – all of these came from somewhere else.
And the same can be said for Hawaii’s people.
First were the Polynesians. Using the star
Arcturus, legend says that the great chief Hawaii Loa guided the
‘ohana, or families, to the “heavenly homeland of the north.”
Thought to have their roots in Southeast Asia, for 5,000 years
these restless mariners migrated throughout the archipelagos and
islands of Indonesia, Micronesia, Fiji, Tahiti, Samoa, among
many others.
Without compass or sextant,
the Polynesians braved rough open seas that would in later years
overcome many larger European vessels, until they had settled
virtually every inhabitable island in an area bounded by the
Hawaiian Islands, Easter Island and New Zealand; an expanse of
ocean roughly the size of the entire Western Hemisphere.
The Polynesian canoes were made only of wood,
coconut fiber and pandanus leaves, yet the Spanish explorer De
Queres remarked upon seeing one in 1606 that “Better could not
have been made in Castille.”
Spouting Horn
photo: HVCB/Ron Dahlquist
A different type of ship sailed into sacred Kealakekua
Bay on Hawaii’s Big Island in 1779, one that some say was mistaken for
the “floating island” on which the god Lono would return to the Islands
one day. But it was Captain James Cook who arrived with two ships during
an important island festival honoring the god.
Generously received, Cook and his men used the
opportunity to stock their ships with provisions and mingle with the
natives. The British sailors left peacefully and without incident,
although their behavior onshore towards the women and sacred spots and
objects had left the Hawaiians with mixed feelings. When a storm forced
Cook and his men to turn back to the island, trouble broke out.
Returning to shore to settle some disputes, a scuffle broke out, taking
the lives of Cook and five of his men.
A young ali‘i, or royalty, had been observing the
foreigners during their visit, learning as much as he could about new
weapons and battle tactics. Legends say he was also favored by the war
god, Ku. His name was Kamehameha the Great, and he would go on to unify
all of the islands under his rule, eventually subduing rival chiefs
through battle and compromise. His reign ended tribal warfare and
brought peace and prosperity to the islands.
Around the time of Kamehameha’s death in 1819, the
seas brought visitors in the form of boisterous whalers in search of the
valuable sperm whale. They used Lahaina, Maui and Honolulu, Oahu to
gather provisions, refit and “raise some hell.”
Quickly following was another group of haole, or
Caucasians, who saw themselves as heaven’s messengers. Discovering a
vacuum created by the demise of the Hawaiian kapu system of conduct,
missionaries converted the Hawaiians to Christianity. They built
churches and schools, translated the bible into Hawaiian, and introduced
a novel way of dressing in the tropics – long-sleeved woolens and
ankle-length dresses!
Descendants of the missionaries became some of the
most powerful families in the Islands, founding some of the sugar and
pineapple dynasties that were Hawaii’s next great industry and source of
trade. As whaling declined and the sugar and pineapple industries
prospered (the American Civil War had cut-off the traditional sugar
supplies from the South), a huge need was created for workers.
Beginning around 1850, successive waves of laborers
and their families began arriving from China, Japan, Portugal the
Philippines and other South Pacific islands, laying the foundation for
the fascinating mix of cultures that make up modern Hawaii. Many other
nationalities, including Koreans, Samoans and Vietnamese, have also come
to the Islands in significant numbers.
The turn of the century brought many changes to
Hawaii, including the overthrow of Queen Lili‘uokalani by business
interests, effectively ending the reign of the Hawaiian monarchy. During
the following years, the sugar and pineapple plantation economies grew,
and more immigrants arrived to work and live on the Islands, further
enriching Hawaii’s cultural tapestry.
Sunday morning, December 7, 1941 was another date that
changed the course of Hawaii’s history. The entrance of the U.S. into
World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor meant a great influx of
servicemen and women from the mainland who would remember Hawaii’s
beauty and welcoming climate and people. Many returned after the war to
either make Hawaii their home or just as significantly – to visit.
Hawaii’s tourism industry really began at the turn of
the century when the first hotels, such as the Moana, were built in
Waikïkï. The Islands’ storied attractions and growing recognition on the
mainland, fueled by movies, music and radio broadcasts such as “Hawaii
Calls,” mesmerized travelers of the era.
Though the war brought things to a halt, with
the arrival of the first passenger jet and statehood in 1959,
tourism in Hawaii truly took off. By the mid-1970s, tourism was
king, as millions of visitors from around the world came under
the spell of Hawaii’s history, culture and natural beauty. It
was also during this time that the Hokule‘a, a traditional
double-hulled sailing canoe, sailed from Hawaii to Tahiti and
back, recreating the incredible voyage of the first Hawaiians.
This celebrated feat symbolically reestablished Hawaii’s
traditional ties to her Polynesian neighbors, and stirred
renewed interest in native Island culture.
Continuing a legacy that began when the first
voyagers arrived seeking new lives, Hawaii remains today a
destination where dreams are fulfilled. While initially many are
drawn by the images of swaying palms and stunning sunsets made
popular in magazines, television and film, as travelers have
become more sophisticated, discerning guests are finding that
diversions related to Hawaii’s past marks many changes, today’s
visitors will still encounter a constant that
Two Girls with Lei on photo: HVCB/Sri Maiava Rusden
has always symbolized Hawaii’s character –
the Aloha spirit that affirms her as a place of welcome for
anyone seeking his own place in the sun.
Information and photos submitted
by:
Hawaii Visitors and Convention
Bureau 2270 Kalakaua Avenue, Suite 801
Honolulu, Hawaii 96815 808-923-1811 |
Website |
Email
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