Hawaii has only been inhabited since around AD 300 but the history of these paradise islands is as fabled as any nation on Earth. From the epic sea journeys of Polynesian wayfarers who first found these shores to the turmoil brought by European discovery and the arrival of missionaries and plantation owners, the path to modern Hawaii has been both colourful and turbulent.
Read on for a brief history of the islands, as well as a guide to the fascinating historical sites still dotted around them...
The emerald islands of Hawaii remained uninhabited until the arrival of Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands in around AD 300. These brave wayfarers crossed over 2,000 miles (3,219km) of open sea in double-hulled sailing canoes and discovered paradise. Contact with Tahiti in the 9th century brought powerful classes of chiefs and priests as well as conflicts over land similar to the feudal struggles in Europe. A richly unique culture emerged too, steeped in myth and practical knowledge. with a deep abiding appreciation and understanding of both the land and sea.
Things changed dramatically for the Native Hawaiians, however, when British explorer and navigator Captain James Cook landed at Waimea on Kauai Island on 20 January 1778 (pictured). He was killed during an affray with locals at Kealakekua Bay a year later, but his ‘discovery’ opened up intermittent contact with Europe, bringing technology, weapons and diseases to the islands. By 1810, King Kamehameha I had used those weapons to seize and consolidate control over most of the island group and monarchs ruled Hawaii for the next 85 years.
In 1820 the first New England missionaries arrived to ‘civilise’ the Native Hawaiians by introducing European and American religious beliefs and education, as well as a written language. Native Hawaiian cultural practices, including the hula, were actively discouraged. In 1835 the first successful plantation was established in Koloa, Kauai by Ladd & Company. The main crop was sugarcane, which soon became a staple crop with immigrants from China, Japan, the Philippines, Korea and Portugal arriving in the islands to work the fields.
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With the arrival of the missionaries and plantation owners a small but powerful white minority emerged. They pressured King Kamehameha III (pictured) to bring in a written constitution that guaranteed private land ownership in 1840. And as US interests grew, the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875 was signed guaranteeing a duty-free market for Hawaiian sugar and special economic privileges to the US that were denied to other countries. A chain of increasingly acrimonious events eventually saw the Hawaiian monarchy fall and President William McKinley annex the islands as US territory in 1900.
The US had maintained a naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu Island since 1887. But it became infamous on 7 December 1941 when Japanese aircraft bombed the base in a surprise attack, damaging 19 ships, killing 2,403 people and dragging America into the Second World War. After the war Hawaii’s economy – and population – boomed, eventually leading to statehood in 1959. And In 1993, President Bill Clinton apologised for America’s role in the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. Traditional Hawaiian culture is slowly being reclaimed and recognised in historical sites and monuments across the islands.
Now discover our list of the most fascinating historical sites that you must visit in Hawaii...
The stunning Iao Valley in the north of Maui is a place of historical, cultural and spiritual significance. It was here that the forces of King Kamehameha I conquered the Maui army in the 1790 Battle of Kepaniwai. It is also home to the Iao Needle, a natural rock formation that dramatically rises 1,200 feet (366m) from the lush valley floor. It is also a place of 'pu'uhonua' (refuge), an important part of Hawaiian culture during tribal wars.
Just south of Kona International Airport, this 1,160-acre park was once a thriving ancient Hawaiian settlement. Here, set amongst a landscape of rugged lava rock, you’ll find four different ahupuaʻa (traditional mountain to sea land divisions), heiau (sacred temples) and kiʻi pohaku (petroglyphs). There are also two ancient fishponds dating from the 16th century (pictured) that were built with lava rocks and stand as a testament to the ingenuity of native Hawaiians.
The Lyman Mission House is the oldest standing wooden structure on the Island of Hawaii (also known as Big Island) and features furniture, tools, household items and artefacts used by David and Sarah Lyman, a missionary family who moved to Hawaii from New England in 1832. Situated in historic downtown Hilo, it served as a family home, as the Lymans also established the Hilo Boarding School, a school for young Hawaiian men, nearby. Next door you’ll find the Smithsonian-affiliated Lyman Museum with displays featuring the island’s natural and cultural history.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the tragic events that followed are commemorated at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, a 30-minute drive from Waikiki. The site includes the USS Arizona Memorial, a visitor centre and two museums. The USS Arizona Memorial is particularly affecting. Reached by shuttle boat and built over the sunken hulk of the USS Arizona, it marks the final resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and marines killed on board. Visitors peer into the shallow harbour where the sunken ship still leaks oil, rising to the water’s surface like black tears.
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The Ladd & Company sugar plantation was founded in 1835 and was the first successful sugar manufacturing enterprise in the Hawaiian Islands. Sugarcane had been grown here for hundreds of years – in fact, Captain Cook spotted a small plantation when he landed on Kauai in 1778. However, at Ladd & Company, it was on a much bigger scale. The mill produced 4,286 pounds (1,944kg) of sugar and 2,700 gallons (12,274 litres) of molasses in 1837 alone. It continued in various forms until 1912 and what is left of the building today forms the Old Sugar Mill of Koloa National Historic Landmark.
The tall white obelisk on Kealakekua Bay marks where Captain James Cook met an untimely end. Relations with the local people turned sour after he tried to kidnap one of the island’s most powerful leaders. The bay is an important religious site too. In fact, Cook first landed here during a four-month religious festival known as Makahiki, in honour of the Hawaiian god Lono. A tsunami destroyed much of the original heiau (temple) but what remains is still a sacred site to the Hawaiian people.
Huliheʻe Palace was originally built in 1838 by High Chief John Adams Kuakini, governor of the island during the Kingdom of Hawaii. It was constructed with lava rock and soon became a favourite summer retreat of Hawaiian royalty, especially for King Kalakaua and Queen Kapiʻolani. When the palace fell into disrepair in 1925, it was saved by the Daughters of Hawaii. Their stated aim is “to perpetuate the memory and spirit of old Hawaii” and today the palace is a museum, showcasing exquisite koa furniture, Hawaiian artefacts and personal memorabilia of the royal family.
Located at the northern tip of the Island of Hawaii, Kapaau is the celebrated birthplace of Kamehameha I, widely regarded as Hawaii’s greatest king. He was destined for greatness: prophesied by legend, marked by Halley’s Comet passing over the island when he was born and confirmed when he united the Hawaiian Islands into one royal kingdom in 1810 after years of conflict. A statue of the great man stands outside the North Kohala Civic Center and is a focal point of the annual King Kamehameha Day festivities in the area.
With its rolling green pastures, Waimea is paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) country and each year the distinct culture and history of the region is celebrated in the colourful Waimea Paniolo Parade. Paniolo in bright traditional outfits parade through Waimea, showing off their skills and their horses, with celebrations culminating in a wild hoolaulea (festival) at the end of the route. Nearby Kahua Ranch, a working sheep and cattle ranch since 1928, is happy to teach visitors all about the paniolo lifestyle.
This fascinating museum is housed in an old engineer's home tucked away behind Hawaii’s largest working sugar factory in Puʻunene on Maui. It tells the complicated story of sugar cane on the islands, from when Polynesian settlers first introduced it to Hawaii, through the dark plantation years and on to modern times. Highlights include a historic steam locomotive that served the Kahului Railroad from 1882 to 1929 and an impressive working model of cane-crushing machinery, still in use.
Set on Pearl Harbor but not part of the National Memorial, the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Honolulu is no less important as a historical site. It was on the decks of the USS Missouri that the Second World War finally came to an end with the surrender of the Japanese forces on 2 September 1945. The Missouri went on to serve in the Korean and Gulf Wars, before retiring in Hawaii, where visitors get to explore 60,000 tonnes of living, breathing history.
This historical park in North Kohala is set on the site of a 600-year-old traditional fishing village that was abandoned when fresh water ran out and offers a fascinating insight into the lives of Native Hawaiians at the time. A one-mile (1.6km) self-guided tour of the park takes visitors past restored hale (houses) and lava stone walls, with the chance to play traditional Hawaiian games. The park’s rocky shoreline also forms part of the Lapakahi Marine Life Conservation District but swimming in the treacherous waters is not encouraged.
When leprosy broke out on the Hawaiian Islands in the mid-1800s, King Kamehameha V banished all afflicted to the isolated Kalaupapa Peninsula on the north shore of Molokai. In 1873 a Belgian Missionary named Father Damien left the 'outside world' to care for them. After 16 years of faithful service he, too, tragically succumbed to the disease. In October 2009 Father Damien was canonised, making the site of the former colony and his grave at St. Philomena Roman Catholic Church (pictured) nearby in Kalaupapa places of holy pilgrimage.
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In ancient times, if you broke the sacred laws (the kapu) the punishment was death. But if you could evade your captors and reach the Puʻuhonua, a place of refuge, you would be spared. This Puʻuhonua at Honaunau on the west coast of the Island of Hawaii was one of the most important, where Lono, the God of life, protected law breakers, defeated warriors and ordinary citizens during times of battle. Today it is home to Hawaiian temple ruins, royal grounds, ponds, sacred burial spots, petroglyphs and a reconstruction of Hale o Keawe – depicting a traditional hale poki (consecrated house).
Duke Kahanamoku is regarded as a true Hawaiian hero; he won gold and silver medals in swimming at the 1912, 1920 and 1924 Olympics. He was a fearsome outrigger canoe paddler and he helped spread the sport of surfing around the world, earning him the nickname of 'the father of modern surfing.' He was one of the original Waikiki Beach Boys, watermen who earned their living teaching visitors how to surf and canoe at Waikiki Beach. Surfers come from all over the world to pay tribute at this Iconic statue of Duke, just metres from the waves he conquered.
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Heiau were sacred places of worship for Native Hawaiians and the Puʻukohola Heiau on the Island of Hawaii’s Kohala Coast is one of the most impressive ever constructed. The 224 by 100-foot (68 x 30m) structure is surrounded by 16- to 20-foot (5 to 6m) walls, made from lava rock passed hand-to-hand in a human chain all the way from Pololu Valley, 25 miles (40km) away. It was one of the last temples built by King Kamehameha I and played a crucial role in uniting the islands. It is still used for sacred ceremonies today (pictured).
Overlooking beautiful Keʻe Beach on Kauai’s Napali Coast, this much cherished stone temple is dedicated to Laka, the goddess of hula. For Hawaiians hula is a storytelling dance, a way of sharing history and culture as well as revealing fundamental truths gained through ancestral knowledge. As such, Ka ‘Ulu o Laka Heiau is a sacred spot where dancers still come to perform and honour traditions. Locals ask that visitors do not climb over the rock walls or take anything from the sites including stones and leis (garlands) left as offerings.
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Just across from Church Row in Kaunakakai you’ll find an ancient Hawaiian coconut grove planted in the 1860s during the reign of King Kamehameha V. It was one of the last royal coconut groves planted in Hawaii and remains one of Molakai’s most recognisable and beautiful landmarks. The hundreds of tall slender coconut palm trees reflected in the still shallow waters here make a tempting photo opportunity. But take care to heed the warning signs. Getting hit on the head by a coconut is a very real danger.
In November 1790, a party of warriors and their families led by chief Keoua were decimated by an explosive eruption on Kilauea volcano on the Island of Hawaii. Locals called it Keonehelelei – the falling sand – and estimates of the number of fatalities range from 80 to 5,405. In 1919 human footprints were found fossilised in the Kaʻu Desert ash (pictured), leading to speculation that they belonged to survivors of the 1790 eruption. The area was gazetted to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and added to the National Register of Historic Places.
This ancient fishing community on Lanai has lived here since the 1400s and it was reputedly King Kamehameha’s favourite summer fishing spot. It consisted of a wide variety of religious structures, residences for priests and isolated petroglyphs. The stone remains of the king’s royal house can still be seen on a bluff overlooking the bay and an easy mile-long (1.6km) trail leads visitors along the coast, past heiau (temples), petroglyphs and other historic structures dating from the 1880s.
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