![\"Soldiers](\"https:\/\/hawaii.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/USS_Boston_landing_force_1893_PP-36-3-002.jpg\")
<\/a>Soldiers from the USS Boston marched on ‘Iolani Palace. (Photo Credit: Hawai’i State Archives)<\/p><\/div>\n
Let’s Dive Deeper<\/strong><\/h2>\nOn January 17, 1893, the Hawaiian Kingdom was overthrown in an illegal coup d\u2019\u00e9tat \u2014 one that would forever change the history of Hawai\u2018i.<\/p>\n
U.S. Marines from the USS Boston, two companies of American sailors, and U.S. Minister John L. Stevens landed in Honolulu Harbor. Backed by U.S. and European businessmen, they orchestrated the removal of Queen Lili\u02bbuokalani from power at \u02bbIolani Palace and placed her under house arrest. In the days that followed, the self-declared Committee of Safety established a provisional government and pushed to seize control of the islands. By 1894, the Republic of Hawai\u2018i was created.<\/p>\n
What fueled their actions?<\/strong> Money. Political control. And above all, the islands\u2019 profitable sugar industry.<\/p>\nAt the helm was Sanford Dole \u2014 often called a \u201csugar baron.\u201d His cousin, James Dole, known as the \u201cpineapple king,\u201d would later found the Hawaiian Pineapple Company, the forerunner of the globally recognized Dole Food Company.<\/p>\n
![\"President](\"https:\/\/hawaii.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Clinton-signs-apology-bill-1993.jpg\")
President Clinton signs an apology bill to Native Hawaiians in 1993. (Photo Credit: Clinton Presidential Library)<\/p><\/div>\n
The U.S. Officially Apologizes<\/strong><\/h2>\nIn 1993, President Bill Clinton issued a formal apology to Native Hawaiians. One hundred years after Queen Lili\u02bbuokalani was deposed, President Bill Clinton signed Public Law 103-150, a joint resolution of Congress often referred to as the Apology Resolution. It was a landmark moment \u2014 an official recognition of historical injustice.<\/p>\n
Among its key acknowledgments:<\/p>\n
\n- The overthrow was illegal:<\/strong> \u201cCongress\u2026on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii\u2026acknowledges the historical significance of this event which resulted in the suppression of the inherent sovereignty of the Native Hawaiian people.\u201d<\/li>\n
- An official apology:<\/strong> The resolution issued a formal apology \u201c\u2026to Native Hawaiians on behalf of the people of the United States for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii on January 17, 1893.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Open claims remain:<\/strong> Importantly, it clarifies, \u201cNothing in this Joint Resolution is intended to serve as a settlement of any claims against the United States.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
But here\u2019s the hard truth: since that apology, little has been done to address or repair the harm. There\u2019s been no restitution, no return of lands, and no significant movement toward sovereignty or self-governance. And that fact weighs heavily on both Native Hawaiians and residents.<\/p>\n
This is a very good historical account from the U.S. government: Hawai\u2018i and the White House.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Hawaiian](\"https:\/\/hawaii.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/thousands-gathered-mauna-kea.jpg\")
Thousands of Native Hawaiians gathered in protest on Mauna Kea. (Photo Credit: Pu’uhonua o Pu’uhuluhulu Maunakea)<\/p><\/div>\n
Other Things Tourists Should Know About the History of Hawaii:<\/strong><\/h2>\n1. Native Hawaiians are a Recognized Racial Group<\/strong><\/h3>\n\u201cNative Hawaiian\u201d is a U.S. government racial classification for the indigenous or aboriginal people \u2014 and their descendants \u2014 of the Hawaiian Islands. Known as Kanaka Maoli,<\/em> their ancestors were the original Polynesians who sailed to Hawai\u2018i and settled the islands around the 5th century A.D.<\/p>\nLiving in Hawai\u2018i or loving the culture doesn\u2019t make someone Hawaiian. It\u2019s a deeply genealogical identity that connects people to ancestors, to \u02bb\u0101ina<\/em> (land), and to kuleana<\/em> (responsibility). Over the years, Kanaka Maoli have faced immense challenges \u2014 especially during times like the Great M\u0101hele in the mid-1800s. Many Native Hawaiians lost access to their ancestral lands, setting off a ripple effect that continues to impact families to this day.<\/p>\n2. Hawai’i was an Independent and Sovereign Nation<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe Kingdom of Hawai\u2018i was not just a sovereign nation \u2014 it was an internationally recognized monarchy. Throughout the 19th century, the Hawaiian Kingdom established formal diplomatic and trade relationships with major global powers. It entered into bilateral treaties of friendship, commerce, and navigation with nations around the world, affirming its place in the international community.<\/p>\n
Some of the countries that signed treaties with Hawai\u2018i include: the United States (1826), Great Britain (1836), France (1839), Denmark (1846), Hamburg (1848), Sweden and Norway (1852), Tahiti (1853), Bremen (1854), Belgium and the Netherlands (1862), Italy and Spain (1863), Swiss Confederation (1864), Russia (1869), Japan (1871), New South Wales (1874), Portugal (1882), Hong Kong (1884), and Samoa (1887).<\/p>\n
3. Hawaiians Almost Became Extinct<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe first recorded Western contact with Hawai\u2018i occurred in 1778, when Captain James Cook, commissioned by Great Britain, sailed the HMS Resolution into Waimea Bay on Kaua\u2018i. The following year, Captain Cook arrived at Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island. At the time, between 400,000 and one million Native Hawaiians lived across the islands.<\/p>\n
Because Hawai\u2018i was so isolated, its people had no exposure \u2014and no immunity \u2014 to many of the diseases circulating elsewhere. When Cook and his crew arrived, they brought with them a host of foreign illnesses, and within a century, the population plummeted by 90%, falling to around 40,000. A number of the \u201cnew\u201d diseases proved fatal, including smallpox, measles, influenza, sexually transmitted infections, whooping cough, cholera, leprosy, and even the common cold.<\/p>\n
4. The 1800s Brought Massive Societal Changes<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe arrival of Christian missionaries in the early 19th century drastically transformed Hawaiian society. Hawaiian women were pressured to wear \u201cMother Hubbards\u201d \u2014 high-neck, long-sleeved muslin dresses that covered them from neck to ankle, despite the tropical climate. Alongside the change in dress came a dismantling of traditional spiritual beliefs, as Christian doctrines replaced traditional Hawaiian religion.<\/p>\n
The native dance \u2014 hula \u2014 was outlawed. Underground hula schools emerged to keep the tradition alive. King David Kal\u0101kaua, known as the \u201cMerrie Monarch,<\/a>\u201d actively revived Hawaiian dance and language during what became known as the first Hawaiian Renaissance.<\/p>\nAs more foreigners arrived, towns were built to accommodate them. Bars, alcohol, opium dens, and prostitution became common. Native Hawaiians, once reliant on sustainable trade, had to adjust to a cash economy and earn an income.<\/p>\n
Immigrants from China, Japan, and Portugal came to work on the newly formed sugar plantations. Different languages and cultures blended, reshaping Hawai\u2018i’s social fabric. Plantation owners, many of them missionaries or their descendants, needed more laborers because so many Native Hawaiians died from foreign diseases.<\/p>\n
![\"Military](\"https:\/\/hawaii.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/military-in-hawaii.jpg\")
Military helicopter landing in Makua Valley, Oahu. (Photo Credit: Rep Kai Kahele)<\/p><\/div>\n
5. Hawai\u2018i\u2019 is a Military State\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\nDue to its strategic global position, Hawai\u2018i is home to all branches of the U.S. military \u2014 Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Command, and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which oversees operations across Asia and the Pacific. On O\u2018ahu, the most densely populated island, 22% of all land is under military control. As a vital midpoint between the continental U.S. and East Asia, it is a key hub for training, coordination, and deployment.<\/p>\n
![\"English](\"https:\/\/hawaii.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/english_only_zone-1.jpg\")
Only English language was allowed in public schools. (Photo Credit: Hawaiian Scribe)<\/p><\/div>\n
A Brief Timeline of Key Events in the History of Hawai\u2018i<\/h2>\n1893 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>Hawaiian Language was Banned<\/strong><\/h3>\nThree years after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, a law was passed making it illegal to teach any language other than English in public schools. This effectively banned Hawaiian from classrooms, replacing it with English in education, government, and business. Children were punished for speaking Hawaiian, and the language nearly disappeared. It took nearly a century \u2014 and a constitutional amendment in 1978 \u2014 before Hawaiian could legally be taught again. However, it wasn\u2019t until 1987 that the language officially returned to public classrooms.<\/p>\n
Discover how the Hawaiian language is being restored<\/a> in homes.<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Queen](\"https:\/\/hawaii.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Liliuokalani.jpg\")
Queen Liliuokalani was never compensated for her land taken by the U.S. that is now considered state and federal land. (Photo Credit: Hawai’i State Archives)<\/p><\/div>\n
1897 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>The Petition and the Queen<\/strong><\/h3>\nNative Hawaiians organized a massive grassroots campaign known as the K\u016b\u02bb\u0113 Petition <\/strong>opposing annexation. They collected 21,269 signatures <\/strong>\u2014 more than half of the Native Hawaiian population at the time. Queen<\/strong> Lili\u02bbuokalani<\/strong> traveled to Washington, D.C., to protest and deliver the petition herself. Despite the overwhelming support and her presence, Congress failed to act. The following year, the U.S. formally annexed Hawai\u2018i without a public vote.<\/p>\n1898 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>President Cleveland Tried to Give Hawai\u2018i Back<\/strong><\/h3>\nPresident Grover Cleveland publicly acknowledged that the overthrow was illegal, calling it \u201ca grievous wrong.\u201d He attempted to restore the Hawaiian monarchy and turned the issue over to Congress. Meanwhile, the illegal interim government in Hawai\u2018i continued to strengthen its hold over the islands with Sanford Dole president of the provisional government.<\/p>\n
1920 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>Everything in <\/strong>Hawai\u2018i <\/strong>Becomes More Expensive<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn 1920, a protectionist World War I shipping law called the Jones Act went into effect. Any cargo traveling between two U.S. ports must be on vessels that are U.S.-built, U.S.-owned, and crewed by U.S. citizens. This makes goods in Hawai\u2018i, Alaska, Guam, and Puerto Rico 40% more expensive than the mainland, on average, because it disallows foreign competition. Hawai’i is the only state with no land access to the continental United States.<\/p>\n
Discover why the Jones Act was bad for Hawaii\u2019s economy.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Ships](\"https:\/\/hawaii.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Pearl-Harbor-USS-Arizona-attack.jpg\")
<\/a>Pearl Harbor bombing 1941. (Photo Credit: Hawai’i State Archives)<\/p><\/div>\n
1941 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>Pearl Harbor Bombed; Martial Law Imposed<\/strong><\/h3>\nOn December 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor, ushering America into World War II. In the wake of the bombing, Hawai\u2018i was placed under martial law. Civil rights were suspended, and more than 2,000 people were arrested in the first two days. Japanese Americans in Hawai\u2018i faced discrimination, with many detained or forced to relocate. The military ran the islands, eliminating jury trials and habeas corpus for nearly three years.<\/p>\n
1941-1990 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>The Bombing of Kaho\u02bbolawe<\/strong><\/h3>\nFor nearly five decades, the U.S. Navy used Kaho\u02bbolawe \u2014 a small, sacred island just seven miles from Maui<\/a> \u2014 as a bomb range, rendering it uninhabitable. In the 1970s and 1980s, Native Hawaiian activists mounted passionate protests to stop the destruction. Their efforts finally paid off in 1990, when President George H.W. Bush ended military use of the island and placed it in the care of a Native Hawaiian trust. To this day, restoration is ongoing, and unexploded ordnance remains a concern.<\/p>\nExplore more about Kaho\u2019olawe today<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n
At the helm was Sanford Dole \u2014 often called a \u201csugar baron.\u201d His cousin, James Dole, known as the \u201cpineapple king,\u201d would later found the Hawaiian Pineapple Company, the forerunner of the globally recognized Dole Food Company.<\/p>\n
President Clinton signs an apology bill to Native Hawaiians in 1993. (Photo Credit: Clinton Presidential Library)<\/p><\/div>\n
The U.S. Officially Apologizes<\/strong><\/h2>\nIn 1993, President Bill Clinton issued a formal apology to Native Hawaiians. One hundred years after Queen Lili\u02bbuokalani was deposed, President Bill Clinton signed Public Law 103-150, a joint resolution of Congress often referred to as the Apology Resolution. It was a landmark moment \u2014 an official recognition of historical injustice.<\/p>\n
Among its key acknowledgments:<\/p>\n
\n- The overthrow was illegal:<\/strong> \u201cCongress\u2026on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii\u2026acknowledges the historical significance of this event which resulted in the suppression of the inherent sovereignty of the Native Hawaiian people.\u201d<\/li>\n
- An official apology:<\/strong> The resolution issued a formal apology \u201c\u2026to Native Hawaiians on behalf of the people of the United States for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii on January 17, 1893.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Open claims remain:<\/strong> Importantly, it clarifies, \u201cNothing in this Joint Resolution is intended to serve as a settlement of any claims against the United States.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
But here\u2019s the hard truth: since that apology, little has been done to address or repair the harm. There\u2019s been no restitution, no return of lands, and no significant movement toward sovereignty or self-governance. And that fact weighs heavily on both Native Hawaiians and residents.<\/p>\n
This is a very good historical account from the U.S. government: Hawai\u2018i and the White House.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nThousands of Native Hawaiians gathered in protest on Mauna Kea. (Photo Credit: Pu’uhonua o Pu’uhuluhulu Maunakea)<\/p><\/div>\n
Other Things Tourists Should Know About the History of Hawaii:<\/strong><\/h2>\n1. Native Hawaiians are a Recognized Racial Group<\/strong><\/h3>\n\u201cNative Hawaiian\u201d is a U.S. government racial classification for the indigenous or aboriginal people \u2014 and their descendants \u2014 of the Hawaiian Islands. Known as Kanaka Maoli,<\/em> their ancestors were the original Polynesians who sailed to Hawai\u2018i and settled the islands around the 5th century A.D.<\/p>\nLiving in Hawai\u2018i or loving the culture doesn\u2019t make someone Hawaiian. It\u2019s a deeply genealogical identity that connects people to ancestors, to \u02bb\u0101ina<\/em> (land), and to kuleana<\/em> (responsibility). Over the years, Kanaka Maoli have faced immense challenges \u2014 especially during times like the Great M\u0101hele in the mid-1800s. Many Native Hawaiians lost access to their ancestral lands, setting off a ripple effect that continues to impact families to this day.<\/p>\n2. Hawai’i was an Independent and Sovereign Nation<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe Kingdom of Hawai\u2018i was not just a sovereign nation \u2014 it was an internationally recognized monarchy. Throughout the 19th century, the Hawaiian Kingdom established formal diplomatic and trade relationships with major global powers. It entered into bilateral treaties of friendship, commerce, and navigation with nations around the world, affirming its place in the international community.<\/p>\n
Some of the countries that signed treaties with Hawai\u2018i include: the United States (1826), Great Britain (1836), France (1839), Denmark (1846), Hamburg (1848), Sweden and Norway (1852), Tahiti (1853), Bremen (1854), Belgium and the Netherlands (1862), Italy and Spain (1863), Swiss Confederation (1864), Russia (1869), Japan (1871), New South Wales (1874), Portugal (1882), Hong Kong (1884), and Samoa (1887).<\/p>\n
3. Hawaiians Almost Became Extinct<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe first recorded Western contact with Hawai\u2018i occurred in 1778, when Captain James Cook, commissioned by Great Britain, sailed the HMS Resolution into Waimea Bay on Kaua\u2018i. The following year, Captain Cook arrived at Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island. At the time, between 400,000 and one million Native Hawaiians lived across the islands.<\/p>\n
Because Hawai\u2018i was so isolated, its people had no exposure \u2014and no immunity \u2014 to many of the diseases circulating elsewhere. When Cook and his crew arrived, they brought with them a host of foreign illnesses, and within a century, the population plummeted by 90%, falling to around 40,000. A number of the \u201cnew\u201d diseases proved fatal, including smallpox, measles, influenza, sexually transmitted infections, whooping cough, cholera, leprosy, and even the common cold.<\/p>\n
4. The 1800s Brought Massive Societal Changes<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe arrival of Christian missionaries in the early 19th century drastically transformed Hawaiian society. Hawaiian women were pressured to wear \u201cMother Hubbards\u201d \u2014 high-neck, long-sleeved muslin dresses that covered them from neck to ankle, despite the tropical climate. Alongside the change in dress came a dismantling of traditional spiritual beliefs, as Christian doctrines replaced traditional Hawaiian religion.<\/p>\n
The native dance \u2014 hula \u2014 was outlawed. Underground hula schools emerged to keep the tradition alive. King David Kal\u0101kaua, known as the \u201cMerrie Monarch,<\/a>\u201d actively revived Hawaiian dance and language during what became known as the first Hawaiian Renaissance.<\/p>\nAs more foreigners arrived, towns were built to accommodate them. Bars, alcohol, opium dens, and prostitution became common. Native Hawaiians, once reliant on sustainable trade, had to adjust to a cash economy and earn an income.<\/p>\n
Immigrants from China, Japan, and Portugal came to work on the newly formed sugar plantations. Different languages and cultures blended, reshaping Hawai\u2018i’s social fabric. Plantation owners, many of them missionaries or their descendants, needed more laborers because so many Native Hawaiians died from foreign diseases.<\/p>\n
Military helicopter landing in Makua Valley, Oahu. (Photo Credit: Rep Kai Kahele)<\/p><\/div>\n
5. Hawai\u2018i\u2019 is a Military State\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\nDue to its strategic global position, Hawai\u2018i is home to all branches of the U.S. military \u2014 Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Command, and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which oversees operations across Asia and the Pacific. On O\u2018ahu, the most densely populated island, 22% of all land is under military control. As a vital midpoint between the continental U.S. and East Asia, it is a key hub for training, coordination, and deployment.<\/p>\n
Only English language was allowed in public schools. (Photo Credit: Hawaiian Scribe)<\/p><\/div>\n
A Brief Timeline of Key Events in the History of Hawai\u2018i<\/h2>\n1893 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>Hawaiian Language was Banned<\/strong><\/h3>\nThree years after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, a law was passed making it illegal to teach any language other than English in public schools. This effectively banned Hawaiian from classrooms, replacing it with English in education, government, and business. Children were punished for speaking Hawaiian, and the language nearly disappeared. It took nearly a century \u2014 and a constitutional amendment in 1978 \u2014 before Hawaiian could legally be taught again. However, it wasn\u2019t until 1987 that the language officially returned to public classrooms.<\/p>\n
Discover how the Hawaiian language is being restored<\/a> in homes.<\/strong><\/p>\nQueen Liliuokalani was never compensated for her land taken by the U.S. that is now considered state and federal land. (Photo Credit: Hawai’i State Archives)<\/p><\/div>\n
1897 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>The Petition and the Queen<\/strong><\/h3>\nNative Hawaiians organized a massive grassroots campaign known as the K\u016b\u02bb\u0113 Petition <\/strong>opposing annexation. They collected 21,269 signatures <\/strong>\u2014 more than half of the Native Hawaiian population at the time. Queen<\/strong> Lili\u02bbuokalani<\/strong> traveled to Washington, D.C., to protest and deliver the petition herself. Despite the overwhelming support and her presence, Congress failed to act. The following year, the U.S. formally annexed Hawai\u2018i without a public vote.<\/p>\n1898 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>President Cleveland Tried to Give Hawai\u2018i Back<\/strong><\/h3>\nPresident Grover Cleveland publicly acknowledged that the overthrow was illegal, calling it \u201ca grievous wrong.\u201d He attempted to restore the Hawaiian monarchy and turned the issue over to Congress. Meanwhile, the illegal interim government in Hawai\u2018i continued to strengthen its hold over the islands with Sanford Dole president of the provisional government.<\/p>\n
1920 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>Everything in <\/strong>Hawai\u2018i <\/strong>Becomes More Expensive<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn 1920, a protectionist World War I shipping law called the Jones Act went into effect. Any cargo traveling between two U.S. ports must be on vessels that are U.S.-built, U.S.-owned, and crewed by U.S. citizens. This makes goods in Hawai\u2018i, Alaska, Guam, and Puerto Rico 40% more expensive than the mainland, on average, because it disallows foreign competition. Hawai’i is the only state with no land access to the continental United States.<\/p>\n
Discover why the Jones Act was bad for Hawaii\u2019s economy.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a>Pearl Harbor bombing 1941. (Photo Credit: Hawai’i State Archives)<\/p><\/div>\n
1941 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>Pearl Harbor Bombed; Martial Law Imposed<\/strong><\/h3>\nOn December 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor, ushering America into World War II. In the wake of the bombing, Hawai\u2018i was placed under martial law. Civil rights were suspended, and more than 2,000 people were arrested in the first two days. Japanese Americans in Hawai\u2018i faced discrimination, with many detained or forced to relocate. The military ran the islands, eliminating jury trials and habeas corpus for nearly three years.<\/p>\n
1941-1990 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>The Bombing of Kaho\u02bbolawe<\/strong><\/h3>\nFor nearly five decades, the U.S. Navy used Kaho\u02bbolawe \u2014 a small, sacred island just seven miles from Maui<\/a> \u2014 as a bomb range, rendering it uninhabitable. In the 1970s and 1980s, Native Hawaiian activists mounted passionate protests to stop the destruction. Their efforts finally paid off in 1990, when President George H.W. Bush ended military use of the island and placed it in the care of a Native Hawaiian trust. To this day, restoration is ongoing, and unexploded ordnance remains a concern.<\/p>\nExplore more about Kaho\u2019olawe today<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n
But here\u2019s the hard truth: since that apology, little has been done to address or repair the harm. There\u2019s been no restitution, no return of lands, and no significant movement toward sovereignty or self-governance. And that fact weighs heavily on both Native Hawaiians and residents.<\/p>\n
This is a very good historical account from the U.S. government: Hawai\u2018i and the White House.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Thousands of Native Hawaiians gathered in protest on Mauna Kea. (Photo Credit: Pu’uhonua o Pu’uhuluhulu Maunakea)<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cNative Hawaiian\u201d is a U.S. government racial classification for the indigenous or aboriginal people \u2014 and their descendants \u2014 of the Hawaiian Islands. Known as Kanaka Maoli,<\/em> their ancestors were the original Polynesians who sailed to Hawai\u2018i and settled the islands around the 5th century A.D.<\/p>\n Living in Hawai\u2018i or loving the culture doesn\u2019t make someone Hawaiian. It\u2019s a deeply genealogical identity that connects people to ancestors, to \u02bb\u0101ina<\/em> (land), and to kuleana<\/em> (responsibility). Over the years, Kanaka Maoli have faced immense challenges \u2014 especially during times like the Great M\u0101hele in the mid-1800s. Many Native Hawaiians lost access to their ancestral lands, setting off a ripple effect that continues to impact families to this day.<\/p>\n The Kingdom of Hawai\u2018i was not just a sovereign nation \u2014 it was an internationally recognized monarchy. Throughout the 19th century, the Hawaiian Kingdom established formal diplomatic and trade relationships with major global powers. It entered into bilateral treaties of friendship, commerce, and navigation with nations around the world, affirming its place in the international community.<\/p>\n Some of the countries that signed treaties with Hawai\u2018i include: the United States (1826), Great Britain (1836), France (1839), Denmark (1846), Hamburg (1848), Sweden and Norway (1852), Tahiti (1853), Bremen (1854), Belgium and the Netherlands (1862), Italy and Spain (1863), Swiss Confederation (1864), Russia (1869), Japan (1871), New South Wales (1874), Portugal (1882), Hong Kong (1884), and Samoa (1887).<\/p>\n The first recorded Western contact with Hawai\u2018i occurred in 1778, when Captain James Cook, commissioned by Great Britain, sailed the HMS Resolution into Waimea Bay on Kaua\u2018i. The following year, Captain Cook arrived at Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island. At the time, between 400,000 and one million Native Hawaiians lived across the islands.<\/p>\n Because Hawai\u2018i was so isolated, its people had no exposure \u2014and no immunity \u2014 to many of the diseases circulating elsewhere. When Cook and his crew arrived, they brought with them a host of foreign illnesses, and within a century, the population plummeted by 90%, falling to around 40,000. A number of the \u201cnew\u201d diseases proved fatal, including smallpox, measles, influenza, sexually transmitted infections, whooping cough, cholera, leprosy, and even the common cold.<\/p>\n The arrival of Christian missionaries in the early 19th century drastically transformed Hawaiian society. Hawaiian women were pressured to wear \u201cMother Hubbards\u201d \u2014 high-neck, long-sleeved muslin dresses that covered them from neck to ankle, despite the tropical climate. Alongside the change in dress came a dismantling of traditional spiritual beliefs, as Christian doctrines replaced traditional Hawaiian religion.<\/p>\n The native dance \u2014 hula \u2014 was outlawed. Underground hula schools emerged to keep the tradition alive. King David Kal\u0101kaua, known as the \u201cMerrie Monarch,<\/a>\u201d actively revived Hawaiian dance and language during what became known as the first Hawaiian Renaissance.<\/p>\n As more foreigners arrived, towns were built to accommodate them. Bars, alcohol, opium dens, and prostitution became common. Native Hawaiians, once reliant on sustainable trade, had to adjust to a cash economy and earn an income.<\/p>\n Immigrants from China, Japan, and Portugal came to work on the newly formed sugar plantations. Different languages and cultures blended, reshaping Hawai\u2018i’s social fabric. Plantation owners, many of them missionaries or their descendants, needed more laborers because so many Native Hawaiians died from foreign diseases.<\/p>\n Military helicopter landing in Makua Valley, Oahu. (Photo Credit: Rep Kai Kahele)<\/p><\/div>\n Due to its strategic global position, Hawai\u2018i is home to all branches of the U.S. military \u2014 Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Command, and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which oversees operations across Asia and the Pacific. On O\u2018ahu, the most densely populated island, 22% of all land is under military control. As a vital midpoint between the continental U.S. and East Asia, it is a key hub for training, coordination, and deployment.<\/p>\n Only English language was allowed in public schools. (Photo Credit: Hawaiian Scribe)<\/p><\/div>\n Three years after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, a law was passed making it illegal to teach any language other than English in public schools. This effectively banned Hawaiian from classrooms, replacing it with English in education, government, and business. Children were punished for speaking Hawaiian, and the language nearly disappeared. It took nearly a century \u2014 and a constitutional amendment in 1978 \u2014 before Hawaiian could legally be taught again. However, it wasn\u2019t until 1987 that the language officially returned to public classrooms.<\/p>\n Discover how the Hawaiian language is being restored<\/a> in homes.<\/strong><\/p>\n Queen Liliuokalani was never compensated for her land taken by the U.S. that is now considered state and federal land. (Photo Credit: Hawai’i State Archives)<\/p><\/div>\n Native Hawaiians organized a massive grassroots campaign known as the K\u016b\u02bb\u0113 Petition <\/strong>opposing annexation. They collected 21,269 signatures <\/strong>\u2014 more than half of the Native Hawaiian population at the time. Queen<\/strong> Lili\u02bbuokalani<\/strong> traveled to Washington, D.C., to protest and deliver the petition herself. Despite the overwhelming support and her presence, Congress failed to act. The following year, the U.S. formally annexed Hawai\u2018i without a public vote.<\/p>\n President Grover Cleveland publicly acknowledged that the overthrow was illegal, calling it \u201ca grievous wrong.\u201d He attempted to restore the Hawaiian monarchy and turned the issue over to Congress. Meanwhile, the illegal interim government in Hawai\u2018i continued to strengthen its hold over the islands with Sanford Dole president of the provisional government.<\/p>\n In 1920, a protectionist World War I shipping law called the Jones Act went into effect. Any cargo traveling between two U.S. ports must be on vessels that are U.S.-built, U.S.-owned, and crewed by U.S. citizens. This makes goods in Hawai\u2018i, Alaska, Guam, and Puerto Rico 40% more expensive than the mainland, on average, because it disallows foreign competition. Hawai’i is the only state with no land access to the continental United States.<\/p>\n Discover why the Jones Act was bad for Hawaii\u2019s economy.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Pearl Harbor bombing 1941. (Photo Credit: Hawai’i State Archives)<\/p><\/div>\n On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor, ushering America into World War II. In the wake of the bombing, Hawai\u2018i was placed under martial law. Civil rights were suspended, and more than 2,000 people were arrested in the first two days. Japanese Americans in Hawai\u2018i faced discrimination, with many detained or forced to relocate. The military ran the islands, eliminating jury trials and habeas corpus for nearly three years.<\/p>\n For nearly five decades, the U.S. Navy used Kaho\u02bbolawe \u2014 a small, sacred island just seven miles from Maui<\/a> \u2014 as a bomb range, rendering it uninhabitable. In the 1970s and 1980s, Native Hawaiian activists mounted passionate protests to stop the destruction. Their efforts finally paid off in 1990, when President George H.W. Bush ended military use of the island and placed it in the care of a Native Hawaiian trust. To this day, restoration is ongoing, and unexploded ordnance remains a concern.<\/p>\n Explore more about Kaho\u2019olawe today<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\nOther Things Tourists Should Know About the History of Hawaii:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Native Hawaiians are a Recognized Racial Group<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Hawai’i was an Independent and Sovereign Nation<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Hawaiians Almost Became Extinct<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. The 1800s Brought Massive Societal Changes<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. Hawai\u2018i\u2019 is a Military State\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
A Brief Timeline of Key Events in the History of Hawai\u2018i<\/h2>\n
1893 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>Hawaiian Language was Banned<\/strong><\/h3>\n
1897 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>The Petition and the Queen<\/strong><\/h3>\n
1898 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>President Cleveland Tried to Give Hawai\u2018i Back<\/strong><\/h3>\n
1920 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>Everything in <\/strong>Hawai\u2018i <\/strong>Becomes More Expensive<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>1941 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>Pearl Harbor Bombed; Martial Law Imposed<\/strong><\/h3>\n
1941-1990 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>The Bombing of Kaho\u02bbolawe<\/strong><\/h3>\n