Polynesians settled the Hawaiian Islands in the 4th century, introducing various crops and animals. The islands were ruled by Kapu chiefs, and in 1778, James Cook arrived, but was later killed. The islands were unified under King Kamehameha the Great, and in 1887, Europeans attempted to take control, leading to the first introduction of democracy. Queen Liliuokalani attempted to end democracy, leading to her overthrow by a group of businessmen and citizens supported by US Marines. Hawaii became a US territory in 1898 and a state in 1959, but controversy remains over the American overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy.
The Hawaiian Islands were first settled in the 4th century by Polynesians, probably from the Marquesas Islands located about 4 miles southeast. They introduced pigs, dogs, chickens, taro, sweet potatoes, bananas, sugar cane, and many other crops to the islands. Further settlements occurred from Raiatea and/or Bora Bora (now part of the Society Islands) and/or Tahiti, in the 11th century. Like Easter Island in the Southeast Pacific, the Hawaiian Islands are one of the most isolated island chains in the Pacific, a fact reinforced by the island’s high level of endemic flora and fauna, which have evolved in relative isolation for millions of years.
Early in their history, the Hawaiian Islands were ruled by Kapu chiefs, who eventually grew so large that they encompassed entire islands. There are eight major islands that were occupied by these kingdoms: in descending order of size, they are Hawaii (also known as the Big Island), Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kahoolawe. Local chiefs, called Ali’is, fought each other for land and resources.
In 1778, British explorer James Cook was the first European to arrive in the Hawaiian Islands. He named the islands the Sandwich Islands after the 4th Earl of Sandwich, one of his sponsors. The name never stuck. In the 4th, Cook visited the islands a second time, attempting to kidnap a Hawaiian chief for ransom to get back a small boat that had been stolen by another lesser chief. Instead of succeeding in his attempt, Cook was killed by the chief’s supporters. After the publication of several books on Cook’s voyages, the Hawaiian Islands became a destination for European, especially British, sailors seeking stopovers on voyages across the Pacific.
During the same period, in the 1780s and 1790s, the battle of the rival chiefs reached a fever pitch, until the islands were unified under the banner of one chief, who came to be known as King Kamehameha the Great. From 1795 to 1872, the Hawaiian Islands were governed by his royal house, the House of Kamehameha. In the 1820s, European missionaries converted most of the islands to Protestant Christianity and Kamehameha II banned the practice of human sacrifice. After the death of the bachelor King Kamehameha V, a succession crisis ensued and the islands were reclaimed by a new king ruling under the House of Kalakaua.
In 1887, Europeans began attempts to take control of the islands. A group of American and European businessmen led by the Englishman Walter M. Gibson forced King Kalakaua to sign the 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii, which stripped the king of administrative authority and set property and minimum income requirements for vote, limiting suffrage to wealthy Americans, Europeans, and Native Hawaiians. Asians, like Japanese and Chinese, were not allowed to vote. Since Native Hawaiians were the largest group, they effectively controlled the country. This was the first introduction of democracy to Hawaii.
In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani attempted to introduce a new constitution that would end democracy and restore the island to a monarchy, concentrating power in her own hands. The new constitution had to be imposed under threat of violence. In response, a group of mostly European and American businessmen and citizens formed a Committee of Security to Preserve Democracy. This safety committee was supported by US Marines, who landed at their request to protect American citizens from possible violence. The Committee successfully overthrew the Queen and established a provisional government in her stead, which became the first incarnation of the future American territory and state. After a series of conflicting reports about the legality of the United States’ overthrow of the United States monarchy, Hawaii was finally made a United States territory in 1898. In March 1959, the territory was transformed into the 50th state of the United States, which remains Today. There is still great controversy as to whether the American overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy was a just act.
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