Difference between revisions of "Template:Nhsc-v1-152"
| Line 4: | Line 4: | ||
coast of America, and more and more | coast of America, and more and more | ||
ships came to stop at the islands. | ships came to stop at the islands. | ||
| + | |||
The earliest American contact with | The earliest American contact with | ||
the islands appears to be in 1789. In | the islands appears to be in 1789. In | ||
that year Captain Robert Gray, | that year Captain Robert Gray, | ||
commanding a small Boston trading | commanding a small Boston trading | ||
| − | craft, the Columbia, stopped at the | + | craft, the <u>Columbia</u>, stopped at the |
islands on his way to China. By 1800, | islands on his way to China. By 1800, | ||
the trans-Pacific fur trade was almost | the trans-Pacific fur trade was almost | ||
| Line 14: | Line 15: | ||
ships, and the number of American | ships, and the number of American | ||
craft stopping in Hawaii increased | craft stopping in Hawaii increased | ||
| − | accordingly. 35/ | + | accordingly. <u>35</u>/ |
| − | C. TRANSFORMATION AND CHANGE | + | |
| − | (1796-1825) | + | ==C. TRANSFORMATION AND CHANGE(1796-1825)== |
| + | |||
The arrival of foreigners caused | The arrival of foreigners caused | ||
changes in the economy of Hawaii and | changes in the economy of Hawaii and | ||
| Line 23: | Line 25: | ||
For the natives, these changes were | For the natives, these changes were | ||
profound. One author writes: | profound. One author writes: | ||
| − | Despite the unification of the | + | |
| − | islands, the period of | + | :Despite the unification of the islands, the period of Kamehameha's rule was, for the Hawaiian people, one of disintegration, owing to decimation from war, the infiltration of Western commercial practices, the avarice of the Chiefs and priests, the spread of <u>haole</u> diseases, and, perhaps most important, the breakdown of the Hawaiian religion. 36/ |
| − | Kamehameha's rule was, for the | + | |
| − | Hawaiian people, one of | + | ===<u>Political Unification--Kamehameha I</u>=== |
| − | disintegration, owing to | + | |
| − | decimation from war, the infiltration | ||
| − | of Western commercial | ||
| − | practices, the avarice of the | ||
| − | Chiefs and priests, the spread | ||
| − | of haole diseases, and, | ||
| − | perhaps most important, the | ||
| − | breakdown of the Hawaiian | ||
| − | religion. 36/ | ||
| − | Political Unification--Kamehameha I | ||
The last quarter of the eighteenth | The last quarter of the eighteenth | ||
century found all the islands of the | century found all the islands of the | ||
| Line 52: | Line 45: | ||
was not militarily conquered by | was not militarily conquered by | ||
Kamehameha. | Kamehameha. | ||
| + | |||
Several reasons are given for the | Several reasons are given for the | ||
success of Kamehameha in the face of | success of Kamehameha in the face of | ||
| Line 63: | Line 57: | ||
important reason was the personality | important reason was the personality | ||
and the ability of Kamehameha himself. | and the ability of Kamehameha himself. | ||
| − | + | <u>37</u>/ | |
| + | |||
At the conclusion of the civil | At the conclusion of the civil | ||
wars, the islands prospered as | wars, the islands prospered as | ||
| Line 69: | Line 64: | ||
agricultural pursuits. Kamehameha, as | agricultural pursuits. Kamehameha, as | ||
had all conquering kings before him, | had all conquering kings before him, | ||
| − | distributed his lands among the | + | distributed his lands among the <u>ali'i</u> |
and maintained the basic social and | and maintained the basic social and | ||
| − | kapu systems. | + | <u>kapu</u> systems. |
| − | Economic Changes | + | |
| − | The arrival of foreigners | + | ===<u>Economic Changes</u>=== |
| + | |||
| + | The arrival of foreigners brought | ||
drastic changes in the economic and | drastic changes in the economic and | ||
material system of the native | material system of the native | ||
inhabitants. In the first part of the | inhabitants. In the first part of the | ||
nineteenth century, Hawaii developed | nineteenth century, Hawaii developed | ||
| − | from a basic subsistence economy | + | from a basic subsistence economy into |
| − | a trading center. New products | + | a trading center. New products were |
introduced and Hawaiians traded their | introduced and Hawaiians traded their | ||
| − | produce to acquire them. Port | + | produce to acquire them. Port areas |
| − | like Honolulu on Oahu and | + | like Honolulu on Oahu and Lahaina on |
Maui were built up to handle the | Maui were built up to handle the | ||
trade. | trade. | ||
| + | |||
At first, it was the fur trade that | At first, it was the fur trade that | ||
caused ships to winter and replenish | caused ships to winter and replenish | ||
Latest revision as of 18:27, 3 April 2006
another ship stopped at the islands. After 1786, however, the fur trade began to develop along the northwest coast of America, and more and more ships came to stop at the islands.
The earliest American contact with the islands appears to be in 1789. In that year Captain Robert Gray, commanding a small Boston trading craft, the Columbia, stopped at the islands on his way to China. By 1800, the trans-Pacific fur trade was almost completely monopolized by New England ships, and the number of American craft stopping in Hawaii increased accordingly. 35/
C. TRANSFORMATION AND CHANGE(1796-1825)
The arrival of foreigners caused changes in the economy of Hawaii and accelerated political and social transformations already under way. For the natives, these changes were profound. One author writes:
- Despite the unification of the islands, the period of Kamehameha's rule was, for the Hawaiian people, one of disintegration, owing to decimation from war, the infiltration of Western commercial practices, the avarice of the Chiefs and priests, the spread of haole diseases, and, perhaps most important, the breakdown of the Hawaiian religion. 36/
Political Unification--Kamehameha I
The last quarter of the eighteenth century found all the islands of the group caught in the midst of bitter civil wars. Rival chiefs fought each other to gain control of the entire group, a feat never before accomplished. The great King Kamehameha I finally succeeded in subduing all of the islands except Kauai and Niihau in 1796. The latter two islands were ceded without a battle in 1810. Even today it is a source of pride for the residents of Kauai that their island was not militarily conquered by Kamehameha.
Several reasons are given for the success of Kamehameha in the face of so many other failures to unite the islands. Among them are the presence of foreigners and their aid in the form of both guns and advice, and the feudalistic character of the Hawaiian society in which loyalties were not static. However, probably the most important reason was the personality and the ability of Kamehameha himself. 37/
At the conclusion of the civil wars, the islands prospered as commoners were free to return to agricultural pursuits. Kamehameha, as had all conquering kings before him, distributed his lands among the ali'i and maintained the basic social and kapu systems.
Economic Changes
The arrival of foreigners brought drastic changes in the economic and material system of the native inhabitants. In the first part of the nineteenth century, Hawaii developed from a basic subsistence economy into a trading center. New products were introduced and Hawaiians traded their produce to acquire them. Port areas like Honolulu on Oahu and Lahaina on Maui were built up to handle the trade.
At first, it was the fur trade that caused ships to winter and replenish in Hawaii on their way to and from the Orient. This economic phase was followed by the sandalwood trade from about 1810 to 1830. In the 1820's, the whaling industry replaced sandalwood as the chief commercial activity and reached its zenith from 1840 to 1860.
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