Hawaiian history prior to annexation

1. Hawaiian history prior to annexation By: Rob Royce

2. Polynesians Hawaii's earliest inhabitants were Polynesians who came to the islands in double-hulled canoes between 1,000 and 1,400 years ago. They are believed to have come from Southeast Asia or the Marquesas in the South Pacific.

3. Captain James Cook • The Western world learned of the islands in 1778. • Captain James Cook, sighted Oahu and then named it the Sandwich Islands after his friend, John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich. • “ Within 40 years of Cook's arrival, one of the island chiefs, Kamehameha (whose birth date, designated as 11 June, is still celebrated as a state holiday), had consolidated his power on Hawaii, conquered Maui and Oahu, and established a royal dynasty in what became known as the Kingdom of Hawaii.”

4. Each island was ruled by a hereditary chief under a caste system called kapu. • Contact with European sailors and traders exposed the Polynesians to smallpox, liquor, firearms, and western technology which had crippled the kapu system. • Kamehameha I died in 1819.

5. Hiram Bingham The same year was the arrival of Protestant missionaries, first to come was the Reverend Hiram Bingham. The reverends job was converting Hawaiians to Christianity.

6. Kamehameha III Kauikeaouli, was made King Kamehameha III. “Hawaii's first written constitution was in 1840, and in 1848 a land reform called the Great Mahele abolished the feudal land system and legitimized private landholdings, in the process fostering the expansion of sugar plantations.” “His reign saw the establishment of public schools, the first newspapers, the first sugar plantation, a bicameral legislature, and the establishment of Honolulu as the kingdom's capital city.”

7. David Kalakaua "The Merry Monarch" was the first king in history to visit the United States. The Merry Monarch attempted to restore Hawaiian traditions. Hawaii's famous hula festival held every April in Hilo is named after him.  Kalakaua died on a trip to San Francisco in 1891. David Kalakaua

8. Liliuokalani took the throne. She wanted to restore the power to the throne that was signed away  by her brother Kalakaua. She was deposed on January 17, 1893. The queen authored a number of songs. The best known Hawaiian song ever is  Aloha Oe.   Aloha Oe "Thus sweet memories come back to meBringing fresh remembrance of the pastDearest one, yes, thou art mine ownFrom thee, true love shall ne'er depart Farewell to thee, Farewell to thee  (aloha oe)Thou charming one who dwells in shaded bow'rsOne fond embrace 'ere I departUntil we meet again" Liliuokalani

9. Short Timeline of Hawaiian History • 300-600 A.DHawaiiansbefore • 1778 Spanish? • 1778 Western Contact (Captain Cook); Written Sources begin at this time.  (Before 1778, things were passed down through Oral Tradition.) • 1778-1820Merchants, Whalers and American Missionaries arrive • 1795 Kamehameha I becomes King • 1819 Kamehameha I dies; Kamehameha II becomes King • 1822 Printing Begins • 1824 Kamehameha II dies; Kamehameha III becomes King • 1834 Newspapers Begin

10. Short Timeline of Hawaiian History Cont. • 1848 The Great Mahele is signed by the King, which has to do with land ownership • 1854Kamehameha III dies; Kamehameha IV becomes King • 1863Kamehameha IV dies; Kamehameha V becomes King • 1872Kamehameha V dies; William Lunalilo confirmed as King of Hawaii by the Hawaiian Legislature after an informal popular vote.  • 1874King Lunalilo dies; David Kalakaua is elected King • 1891King Kalakaua dies; Lili'uokalani becomes Queen1893Queen Liliuokalani surrendered the kingdom to the United States under protest

11. Sources • http://www.city-data.com/states/Hawaii-History.html • http://www.deephawaii.com/hawaiianhistory.htm