The work of spreading Christianity got an unexpected boost when Rev. William Ellis landed in Hawai‘i in the spring of...
Click on the islands of Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Maui and Hawai‘i to see key Ali‘i and mission members....
With the arrival of foreigners, Hawai‘i’s economy expanded beyond traditional systems. An economy founded on provisioning early trading ships shifted...
Fragrant sandalwood trees, or ‘iliahi, whose heartwood was used for incense and medicines, had long been abundant in the Hawaiian...
“Here is my word to you, there you are among the longnecks, so send letters here. There are many people,...
For Hawaiians, the natural environment was imbued with religious significance. Geological features, plants and animals were often revered as kinolau, or manifestations of the many gods. Religion pervaded people’s lives – from the maka‘āinana (commoners) to the highest ranks of ali‘i, who ruled as embodiments of the gods.
Though sometimes criticized for being a product of Western ideas, the Declaration of Rights and Constitution transformed Hawai‘i. Drafted by...
The printing press made an indelible impact on Hawaiian history. Beyond first recording the written Hawaiian language, propelling the education...
The Thaddeus anchored outside Honolulu harbor and sent a delegation to meet with Francisco de Paula Marin, a Spanish Catholic...
A grand feast was held to commemorate the death of Kamehameha and the missionaries were invited to participate. During April,...
The first page of print in Hawaiian was struck on the printing press, transported from Boston on the Thaddeus, and...
A graduate of Bowdoin College and Bangor Seminary, Dole was a classical scholar who arrived with his wife, Emily, in...