|
top of page
Honolulu History continued...
Long before the first European settlers reached what is now Honolulu, a settlement had already existed. Modern archaeology estimates that the first settlement in what is now Honolulu dates back to 1100 A.D. Some believe that the area was actually settled much earlier, by the Polynesians, some 2,000 years ago.
By the time the first Europeans laid eyes on the archipelago that is now the state of Hawai'i, the islands were under the rule of a few chiefs who were constantly fighting for dominance. One of the most powerful chiefs was Kamehameha the Great, who was the chief of the island of Hawai'i. In 1795, Kamehameha the Great swept through Maui and Molokai, conquering the two islands before crossing the channel to O'ahu. Kamehemeha landed his fleet of canoes on the beaches of Waikiki. He then marched with his troops to meet the king of O'ahu. Under the command of Kamehameha, a few Western sharpshooters were able to defeat the O'ahuan generals and penetrate their ridge-top defenses. The taking of O'ahu by Kamehameha meant that, for the first time, Hawai'i was a united kingdom.
It is actually unclear when or how the name Honolulu came into use. Originally, the area that is now Honolulu was known as Kou. Honolulu Harbor, which is also known as Kulolia had its first European visitor in 1794. Captain William Brown of the English ship “Butterworth” landed and named the harbor Fair Haven. Later, other captains began referring to the harbor as Brown's Harbor. It was around this time (the early 1800's), that the name Honolulu came into use. No one knows exactly why the name gained popularity. Back then, Honolulu was the area near the harbor which is now referred to as downtown Honolulu.
By the early 1800's, foreign ships began making their way into Honolulu. This led to Honolulu becoming an important port. The area became a focal point for merchant ships braving the seas between North America and Asia. Then, in 1809, Kamehameha moved his royal court from Waikiki to the Honolulu Harbor area. By then, Honolulu Harbor had become a village of almost 1800 people. Kamehameha was intent on keeping a keen eye on the trade that flowed in and out of the harbor. In order to do this, he firmly established Honolulu as Hawai'i's center for commerce.
By 1820, whaling ships sailing in the Pacific Ocean had begun to pull into Honolulu for supplies, liquor and women. As a result of this, taverns and brothels began to spring up all around the harbor. Soon after the arrival of the whalers, Christian missionaries began to arrive in Honolulu. The missionaries immediately befriended the Hawai'ian royalty. On one occasion, Queen Kaahumanu became seriously ill. Sybil Bingham, a wife of one of the chief missionaries, nursed the Hawai'ian queen back to health. Queen Kaahumanu showed her gratitude by passing a law that forbid work or travel on the Christian Sabbath.
Eventually, the Christian missionaries began to gain more and more influence with the Hawai'ian royalty. They convinced the royal family to pass laws against drunkenness and prostitution. By the peak whaling years of the mid-1800's, most whaling ships had abandoned Honolulu. They had begun landing in Lahaina, on Maui. Life in Lahaina was less wholesome than in Honolulu. Free from the influences of the Christian missionaries, life in Lahaina offered what Honolulu could not. However, in spite of this, downtown Honolulu soon became the headquarters for the emerging corporations that eventually gained control of Hawai'i's commerce.
In 1845, the last son of Kamehameha the Great, Kamehameha III, moved the capital of the Kingdom of Hawai'i from Maui to Honolulu. Kamehameha III wasted no time in making reforms. He immediately established Hawai'i's first national legislature, provided for the establishment of a supreme court and passed the Great Mahele land act. The Great Mahele land act established religious freedom and gave all male citizens the right to vote. By 1853, Honolulu had 11,450 residents, a full 15% of the population of the entire Hawai'ian Kingdom.
In the following decades, Honolulu began to take the appearance of a modern city. The monarchy built several stately buildings in the city center. Among these new buildings was St. Andrew's Cathedral, Lolani Palace and the Supreme Court building Aliiolani Hale.
By the mid-19th century, Honolulu had a large foreign community composed mainly of American and British residents. As the city continued to grow, westerners began to gain more and more control over island affairs.
King David Kalakaua was Hawai'i's last king. Reigning from 1874 to 1891, King Kalakaua was a Hawai'ian revivalist. Among his many acts as king, Kalakaua brought back the Hula. The Christian missionaries had repressed the Hula for decades, calling it the “heathen dance.” King Kalakaua also composed Hawai'i's national anthem, Hawai'i Ponoi, which is now the state song.
To Hawai'i's influential white men, King Kalakaua was perceived as a lavish spender. They thought that the king was too fond of partying and throwing public luaus. As King Kalakaua began to incur debts, he was becoming increasingly unpopular with the local sugar barons. The sugar business had become the backbone of the economy. The barons formed the Hawai'ian League in 1887 and developed their own armies which stood ready to overthrow the kingdom at a moment's notice.
In January, 1893, Kalakaua's sister and successor, Queen Liliuokalani, was preparing to proclaim a new constitution that would strengthen the throne. However, a group of armed U.S. business men occupied the Supreme Court building and declared the monarchy overthrown. They announced a new government, led by Sanford Dole, son of a pioneer missionary. The group immediately appealed to Washington for annexation to the United States. Queen Liliuokalani also appealed to Washington to restore the monarchy. The Democratic president, Grover Cleveland ordered that the United States flag be taken down and that the queen be restored to her throne. However, the new government ignored the president's orders. They declared that president Cleveland was meddling in “Hawaiian affairs.”
Due to the Spanish-American War of 1898 and the acquisition of the Philippines, American expansionism began in the Pacific. The United States Congress adopted the annexation of Hawai'i. In 1900, President McKinley appointed Sanford Dole the first governor of the Territory of Hawai'i. Soon after annexation, the U.S. Navy set up a huge pacific headquarters at Pearl Harbor. The U.S. also built Schofield Barracks in central O'ahu. Schofield Barracks was, at the time, the largest U.S. military base anywhere. The military quickly became the leader of O'ahu's economy.
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese staged a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The attack sank or seriously damaged 21 ships and killed 2300 people. The attack also catapulted the United States into war. After the smoke cleared, Hawai'i was placed under martial law and O'ahu took on the face of a military camp. The area was already heavily militarized and vast tracts of land were turned over to the U.S. armed forces for expanded military bases, training and weapons testing. To this day, much of this land has yet to be returned.
On August 21, 1959, after 61 years of being a territory of the United States, Hawai'i became the 50th state of the U.S.A., with Honolulu as its capital. An astonishing 90% of the islanders voted for statehood.
Today, Honolulu is home to many people from throughout the Pacific. There is no ethnic majority in the city. It is Hawai'i's center for business, culture and politics. It also remains as one of the world's most popular tourist destinations.
Among the more popular tourist attractions in Honolulu are Diamond Head, the Dole Plantation, Hawai'ian Waters Adventure Park, the Honolulu Zoo, Hanauma Bay and Germaine's Luau. Another popular destination for tourists is the beautiful beaches of Waikiki.
The city of Honolulu is also home to many fine educational and cultural institutions. Among the colleges and universities in the city are the University of Hawai'i Manoa, Chaminade University and Hawai'i Pacific University. Among Honolulu's museums are the Bishop Museum, the Hawai'i State Art Museum, Mission Houses Museum, the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park and the Damien Museum. Visitors can also see Pearl Harbor, the site of the Japanese surprise attack on the U.S., as well as the USS Missouri.
The modern city of Honolulu has much to offer. Its weather, its cultural institutions and its tourist attractions make the city a constant favorite among travelers. Honolulu truly is a city that has it all.
|
