Hawaiian History
Hawaiian History: In 1778, Captain James Cook, landed on Kauai at Waimea Bay. Naming the archipelago the “Sandwich Islands” in honor of the Earl of Sandwich, Cook opened the doors to the west. Cook was killed only a year later in Kealakekua Bay on Hawaii Island.
In 1791, King Kamehameha I united the warring factions of Hawaii Island and went on to unify all of the Hawaiian Islands into one royal kingdom in 1810. Dynastic rule by the Kamehameha family ended in 1872 with the death of Kamehameha V. After the short reign of Lunalilo, the House of Kalakaua came to the throne. His Majesty King David Kalakaua was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawai’i. He reigned from 1874 until his death in 1891. Western influence continued to grow and in 1893, American Colonists who controlled much of Hawaii’s economy overthrew the Hawaiian Kingdom in a peaceful, yet still controversial coup. In 1898, Hawaii became a territory of the United States. 61 year later, Hawaii became the 50th State of the United States in 1959. Today, Hawaii is a global gathering place for visitors to share in the “Spirit of Aloha”.
• Click here, for more in-depht information on Hawaiian History