Public Access America

Hawaii The history of Hawaii describes the era of human settlements in the Hawaiian Islands. That history begins sometime between 124 and 800 CE, with some theories dating the earliest Polynesian settlements to the 10th or even 13th century. Around 1200, Tahitian explorers found and began settling the area.[inconsistent] This began the rise of the Hawaiian civilization. It remained isolated from the rest of the world for another 500 years. Europeans led by British explorer James Cook arrived in the Hawaiian Islands in 1778. Within five years, European military technology helped Kamehameha I conquer and unify the islands for the first time, establishing the Kingdom of Hawaii. The kingdom was prosperous and important for its agriculture and strategic location in the Pacific. American immigration began almost immediately after European contact, led by Protestant missionaries. American farmers began cultivating sugar. Their methods of plantation farming required substantial labor. Waves of permanent immigrants