Polynesians were the first to discover and inhabit the islands of Hawaii during the 4th century A.D. They ruled the Islands for many centuries until they came in contact with westerners.

Captain James Cook, the famous British explorer, during his third and final voyage located the Hawaiian Islands on January 18, 1778 while trying to map the Northwest Passage. He was then commanding HMS Resolution accompanied by HMS Discovery, commanded by Captain Charles Clerke. Cook was the first European to reach Hawaii. Captain Cook first discovered the island of Oahu and then he sighted Kauai and Nihau. He named the islands Sandwich Islands after his sponsor, John Montagu, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich and then serving as First Lord of Admiralty. After that, he left the islands to fulfill his mission of exploring northern waters.

In 1779, Captain Cook returned to Hawaii. After tacking off the coasts of the Islands, he anchored at Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island, the largest of the Hawaiian Islands. His arrival coincided with the Makahiki season, the Polynesian harvest and New Year festival celebrated in the honor of their ancient god Lono. The sails and mast of his ship, HMS Resolution, resembled the image (Akua Loa) of the god Lono. It is thought that because of the resemblance of his ship's form to the image of Lono and the route of his journey around Hawaii aligning to the route of processions during the festival, Hawaiians considered him as an incarnation of the god Lono and treated him well.

After staying for a month, Captain Cook resumed his mission to explore North Pacific. However, he was forced to return to Hawaii as the foremast of his ship broke. This was totally unforeseen and unwelcome as the period of god Lono had ended. Many believe that because of this unexpected visit, several confrontations occurred between Cook's crew and the natives. Tensions reached a high point when natives captured one of Cook's small boats. In order to get his boat back, Cook tried to take the Hawaiian King Kalaniopuu hostage. However, the attempt was foiled and Captain Cook along with four of his crew members were killed by the natives.

Captain Charles Clerke, commander of HMS Discovery, took over the mission after Cook's death. After the death of Clerke in 1780 both ships returned to England commanded by John Gore and James King. After their return, several books on Cook's voyages were published and many more European and American explorers, including missionaries, started to visit the Hawaiian Islands.

The first Protestant missionaries from America arrived in Hawaii in 1820. The group was comprised of two ministers, four Hawaiian natives educated at the American Foreign Mission School and some specialists including a farmer, teachers, a doctor and a printer. Their primary mission was to build churches, schools, domiciles and plantations.

On reaching Hawaii, they found it quite different from what Captain Cook listed in his records. The Islands of Hawaii and its natives had been considerably changed after coming in contact with the foreign explorers and traders. The kapu (ancient taboos and laws) were discarded, idols removed and destroyed, and the power of priests was questioned. The missionaries, backed by the kuhina nui (powerful position in Hawaiian government) Kaahumanu, were accepted almost instantly. The change brought by the missionaries resulted in social, economic and political uncertainty and disturbance.

The missionaries were not allowed to own land in Hawaii initially. The policy was changed in 1840's allowing missionaries to own land. Powerful Americans made wealth for themselves by conducting business in Hawaii. They took political control from the natives as well. After the 1850's, the key political and governing positions were held mainly by the Americans.

The missionaries built the first printing press in Hawaii, transcribed Hawaiian alphabets, constructed schools, published the Bible in the Hawaiian language, introduced textbooks and supported a constitutional administration under the Hawaiian kingdom. Their educational schemes were quite successful with many Hawaiians registering in schools.

Many explorers, particularly traders, didn't like the idea of educating natives by the missionaries as they believed that it could harm their interests. When the priests adopted the ways and teachings of missionaries, they tried to control the dissipation of sailors by enforcing several conditions and laws such as women not being allowed on the ships. Several laws were made under the influence of Protestant ministers to control activities on the Islands.

In 1827, Catholic missionaries from France reached Honolulu. Protestant missionaries influenced the queen Kaahumanu, widow of the King Kamehameha and a protestant convert, to illegalize and ban catholic missionaries in Hawaii. After the passing of new law banning Catholic practices, loyal chiefs of the queen started forcibly deporting the French Roman Catholic missionary priests onto the ship called Waverly anchored at Honolulu Harbor in 1731. Natives who converted to Catholicism were taken into custody and locked up. The prisoners were then tortured by Protestant ministers until they relinquished Catholicism.

In 1839, the French frigate named Artemise commanded by Captain Laplace on a mission to restore French honor. Because of the impending threat of war, the Edict of Toleration was passed by the King Kamehameha III on July 17, 1839. As per the demands made by Laplace, $20,000 in compensation was paid for the atrocities committed on Catholic converts and for the deportation of the priests. The Catholic missionaries were allowed to return and land for building their church was allotted by the King.

Following a resolution written by Congressman Newlands, then president of the United States, William McKinley, passed the Newlands Resolution allowing the annexation of Hawaii on July 7, 1898. The Hawaiian Organic Act was passed in 1900 to establish the territorial government of Hawaii, headed by a governor appointed by the US president.

You might also be interested in these other Hawaiian history articles:
Hawaiian Islands | Birth of Hawaiian Society | Ancient Hawaiians | History of Ancient Polynesian Tattoo | Hawaiian Religion | Ancient Hawaiian Temples | Polynesian Mythology | Polynesian Tiki | Hawaiian Petroglyphs | History of Hawaiian Fishponds | History of Hawaiian Surfing | Ancient Polynesian Navigation | Hawaiian Outrigger Canoes | Ancient Hawaiian Astronomy | History of Hawaiian Volcanoes | Hawaiian Hula Dance | Traditional Hawaiian Music | Story of the Ukulele | History of Hawaiian Pineapple | History of Hawaiian Coffee | History of Hawaiian Sugar Cane | History of Hawaiian Noni | History of Polynesian Breadfruit

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