Big Islandhistory

Big Island History

The history of the Hawaiian Islands goes back to around 300 A.D. when it is believed that other Polynesians first settled there. Settlements were separate and ruled by local chiefs who were extremely territorial and protective of their realms. In 1778, British explorer Captain James Cook arrived on the islands and is credited with their discovery.

The territoriality of the tribes naturally led to strife among them, and clashes threatened to tear the islands apart. The internal wars among the different tribes were finally brought to an end in 1795, and the Hawaiian Islands were united under the House of Kamehameha, a dynasty begun by King Kanehameha the Great, and which was is power until 1872. For the 2 decades that followed, several elected kings and queens came and went, as the political climate on the Hawaiian Islands grew more and more unpredictable.

The issue of Hawaii being annexed as a United States territory was first raised by President Grover Cleveland. When William McKinley was elected in 1896, the issue was raised again, and the President signed and submitted a treaty of annexation to the Senate the following year. In March of 1959, the Hawaiian Islands were officially granted statehood by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The island of Hawaii, or the “Big Island”, was the homeland of Kamehameha the Great, who named all of his united territory after his native land. Captain James Cook died on the island of Hawaii as well.

Now a center of tourism that provides the Big Island with the vast majority of its revenue, the economy of Hawaii was once supported by sugarcane plantations (the last one closed in 1996). Today, cattle ranching there is big business, and agriculture still thrives, with macadamia nuts, papaya, coffee, and tropical flowers among the island’s important crops.

The presence of two of the most spectacular volcanoes on the planet (Mount Kilauea and Mauna Loa), along with the pristine beaches and verdant landscapes make the Big Island of Hawaii one of the most beautiful and popular destinations in the world.