Previous Next
Previous Next
Copyright 2001. The Lazy 'C' - All rights reserved.
history
The State Flag has eight stripes (representing the eight major islands), of white, red and blue; the field closely resembles the Union Jack of Great Britain, from which the original flag apparently was designed.
Nickname: The Aloha State.
Capital: Honolulu.
Constitution: The 50th State.
Statehood: August 21st 1959.
Motto: Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono - The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness
History:
Polynesians sailed to Hawaii in giant canoes from other Pacific islands about 2,000 years ago. Captain James Cook of the British navy landed there on Jan. 18, 1778. Cook traded with the Hawaiians, who considered him a great chief with divine powers.
Many other traders and explorers sailed to the islands after Cook's landing. They brought livestock, manufactured goods, and plants of other countries. During the 1800's, many Hawaiians died of diseases brought from other parts of the world.
Local chiefs ruled the islands during the period of Cook's visits. One chief, Kamehameha, gained control of Hawaii Island in a harsh 10-year war that began in 1782. He later captured and united the other main islands. The local chiefs then served as governors of their islands under King Kamehameha I of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Between 1811 and 1880, Hawaii shipped great quantities of sandalwood to China. Money from this trade provided a major source of income for Kamehameha I and two later kings of Hawaii.
During the 1800's, hundreds of whaling ships, mostly from the United States, visited Hawaii each year. The sale of supplies to these ships provided the largest income for Hawaiians until the 1860's.
Kamehameha I's son, Liholiho, became King Kamehameha II in 1819. The new king abolished the local Hawaiian religion. In 1820, Protestant missionaries and teachers from the United States converted most of the Hawaiians to Christianity. Roman Catholic missionaries arrived in 1827. But the Hawaiians forced them to leave in 1831, and imprisoned many Catholic Hawaiians. In July 1839, a French ship blockaded Honolulu until the government agreed to free the prisoners and grant religious freedom to Catholics.
From 1854 to 1872, the islands began to be a melting pot of people from various countries. There were not enough Hawaiian workers for the sugar plantations, so the owners brought in labourers from other countries.
King Kalakaua, called the Merry Monarch, came to the throne in 1874. During his reign, Hawaiian music, the hula, and many old Hawaiian customs became popular again. They had been prohibited by earlier rulers at the demand of Christian missionaries.
During Kalakaua's reign, sugar-cane planting became a large industry. Sugar planters shipped most of their crop to the United States. The pineapple industry of Hawaii began after a thousand pineapple plants were shipped there from Jamaica in about 1885.
In 1893, a bloodless revolution led by nine Americans, two Britons, and two Germans removed Queen Liliuokalani from the throne. They and their followers formed the Republic of Hawaii. American business executives controlled the government of the new republic. For business reasons, the executives wanted the islands to become a U.S. territory. In 1898, in spite of some Hawaiian opposition, the United States annexed Hawaii as a possession. It became a U.S. territory in 1900.
Shortly before World War I (1914-1918), the U.S. Navy started to build a great naval base at Pearl Harbour. Japan attacked Pearl Harbour on Dec. 7, 1941, plunging the U.S.A. into World War II.
The first of many statehood bills had been introduced in the U.S. Congress in 1919. Finally, in 1959, Hawaii became the youngest state of the U.S.A.
During the 1960's, Hawaii's population increased and the economy boomed. Manufacturing gained strength during the late 1970's and early 1980's. Hawaii's aquaculture industry--commercial cultivation of animals and plants that live in water--also thrived.
In order to reduce its dependence on oil, Hawaii looked towards development of alternative sources of energy, including solar energy and wind power.
Bird:
The Nene (pronounced "nay-nay") is a land bird and a variety of goose. It has adapted itself to life in the harsh lava country by transforming its webbed feet into a claw-like shape and modifying its wing structure for shorter flights. Hunting and wild animals all but destroyed the species until they were protected by law and a restoration project established in 1949.
Economy:
Agriculture: Sugarcane, pineapples, nursery stock, livestock, macadamia nuts.
Industry: Tourism, food processing, apparel, fabricated metal products, stone, clay, and glass products.
Flower:
The state flower is the yellow Hibiscus Brackenridgei.
Motto:
The words Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono which mean "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness." The saying is attributed to King Kamehameha III on July 31, 1843, when the Hawaiian flag was once more raised after a brief period of unauthorized ursurpation of authority by a British admiral.
Nickname: Aloha State / Paradise of the Pacific.
Origin of state's name: Could be based on native Hawaiian word for homeland, "Owhyhee".
Tree:
A Polynesian introduced plant species. the kukui, better known as the candlenut. The nuts of this tree provided the ancient Hawaiians with light, oil, relishes, and medicine.
Language:
Hawaii's two official languages are Hawaiian and English. The melodious Hawaiian language is a polynesian dialect. There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet: vowels a, e, i, o, u; consonants h, k, l, m, n, p and w. In order to clarify pronunciation, you will often see the glottal stop ( ‘ ) or ‘okina and macron used on words such as Hawai‘i.
Polynesians sailed to Hawaii in giant canoes from other Pacific islands about 2,000 years ago. Captain James Cook of the British navy landed there on Jan. 18, 1778. Cook traded with the Hawaiians, who considered him a great chief with divine powers.
Many other traders and explorers sailed to the islands after Cook's landing. They brought livestock, manufactured goods, and plants of other countries. During the 1800's, many Hawaiians died of diseases brought from other parts of the world.
Local chiefs ruled the islands during the period of Cook's visits. One chief, Kamehameha, gained control of Hawaii Island in a harsh 10-year war that began in 1782. He later captured and united the other main islands. The local chiefs then served as governors of their islands under King Kamehameha I of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Between 1811 and 1880, Hawaii shipped great quantities of sandalwood to China. Money from this trade provided a major source of income for Kamehameha I and two later kings of Hawaii.
During the 1800's, hundreds of whaling ships, mostly from the United States, visited Hawaii each year. The sale of supplies to these ships provided the largest income for Hawaiians until the 1860's.
Kamehameha I's son, Liholiho, became King Kamehameha II in 1819. The new king abolished the local Hawaiian religion. In 1820, Protestant missionaries and teachers from the United States converted most of the Hawaiians to Christianity. Roman Catholic missionaries arrived in 1827. But the Hawaiians forced them to leave in 1831, and imprisoned many Catholic Hawaiians. In July 1839, a French ship blockaded Honolulu until the government agreed to free the prisoners and grant religious freedom to Catholics.
From 1854 to 1872, the islands began to be a melting pot of people from various countries. There were not enough Hawaiian workers for the sugar plantations, so the owners brought in labourers from other countries.
King Kalakaua, called the Merry Monarch, came to the throne in 1874. During his reign, Hawaiian music, the hula, and many old Hawaiian customs became popular again. They had been prohibited by earlier rulers at the demand of Christian missionaries.
During Kalakaua's reign, sugar-cane planting became a large industry. Sugar planters shipped most of their crop to the United States. The pineapple industry of Hawaii began after a thousand pineapple plants were shipped there from Jamaica in about 1885.
In 1893, a bloodless revolution led by nine Americans, two Britons, and two Germans removed Queen Liliuokalani from the throne. They and their followers formed the Republic of Hawaii. American business executives controlled the government of the new republic. For business reasons, the executives wanted the islands to become a U.S. territory. In 1898, in spite of some Hawaiian opposition, the United States annexed Hawaii as a possession. It became a U.S. territory in 1900.
Shortly before World War I (1914-1918), the U.S. Navy started to build a great naval base at Pearl Harbour. Japan attacked Pearl Harbour on Dec. 7, 1941, plunging the U.S.A. into World War II.
The first of many statehood bills had been introduced in the U.S. Congress in 1919. Finally, in 1959, Hawaii became the youngest state of the U.S.A.
During the 1960's, Hawaii's population increased and the economy boomed. Manufacturing gained strength during the late 1970's and early 1980's. Hawaii's aquaculture industry--commercial cultivation of animals and plants that live in water--also thrived.
In order to reduce its dependence on oil, Hawaii looked towards development of alternative sources of energy, including solar energy and wind power.
Bird:
The Nene (pronounced "nay-nay") is a land bird and a variety of goose. It has adapted itself to life in the harsh lava country by transforming its webbed feet into a claw-like shape and modifying its wing structure for shorter flights. Hunting and wild animals all but destroyed the species until they were protected by law and a restoration project established in 1949.
Economy:
Agriculture: Sugarcane, pineapples, nursery stock, livestock, macadamia nuts.
Industry: Tourism, food processing, apparel, fabricated metal products, stone, clay, and glass products.
Flower:
The state flower is the yellow Hibiscus Brackenridgei.
Motto:
The words Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono which mean "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness." The saying is attributed to King Kamehameha III on July 31, 1843, when the Hawaiian flag was once more raised after a brief period of unauthorized ursurpation of authority by a British admiral.
Nickname: Aloha State / Paradise of the Pacific.
Origin of state's name: Could be based on native Hawaiian word for homeland, "Owhyhee".
Tree:
A Polynesian introduced plant species. the kukui, better known as the candlenut. The nuts of this tree provided the ancient Hawaiians with light, oil, relishes, and medicine.
Language:
Hawaii's two official languages are Hawaiian and English. The melodious Hawaiian language is a polynesian dialect. There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet: vowels a, e, i, o, u; consonants h, k, l, m, n, p and w. In order to clarify pronunciation, you will often see the glottal stop ( ‘ ) or ‘okina and macron used on words such as Hawai‘i.