Hawaii

Early History

Prior to its annexation by the United States in 1898, Hawaii was a monarchy established by King Kamehameha I, the man who unified the Hawaiian Islands through diplomacy and force. At the dawn of his reign in 1810, social life in the islands was defined by a caste system, with each island having its own ali'i, a ruling class of chiefs. Kamehameha established himself as the Ali'i Nui (ruling chief) and began to develop a unified language and legal and economic system over the islands. However, the Kingdom remained vulnerable to the will of Western powers.

American Christian missionaries arrived in 1820 and initiated changes to social life by restricting or codifying Hawaiian culture. Some missionaries married into ali'i families and formed extended Christian-Hawaiian family networks. Imperial powers such as Great Britain, France, and the United States saw Hawaii as a critical military installation, trade port, and source of raw goods. The islands were part of an international network of trade and exported goods such as sandalwood and sugarcane. Americans sought to develop Hawaii and soon became involved in every aspect of the kingdom. Like the Christian missionaries, wealthy American businessmen married into ali'i families and formed elite family networks that would drive social, economic, educational, and political life. The quest for development led to the arrival of Asian and Latino migrants to work in the kingdom's agricultural industry. Recruited and often exploited in a plantation labor system, Chinese, Japanese, Puerto Rican, Korean, and Filipino workers arrived throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. The arrival of these workers would profoundly transform the cultural and political milieu of Hawaii.

In 1893, American business elites, with the assistance of the U.S. Navy, deposed the reigning monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Queen Lili'uokalani. In 1898, the United States annexed Hawaii, and in 1900, Hawaii became a U.S. territory. In 1959, the islands became a state and a full participant in the American political system. In many ways, the period prior to statehood provided the foundation for Hawaii's contemporary social networks.

The state of Hawaii is composed of eight main islands: Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, and Hawaii (also called the Big Island). The state government consists of a governor, a bicameral legislature, and state agencies. At the municipal level, there is a network of four counties: Kauai County (which includes Niihau); Maui County (which includes Kahoolawe, Lanai, and Molokai); Hawaii County; and the largest municipal entity, the City and County of Honolulu (which oversees the island of Oahu). An elected mayor and city council govern each county. The city and county of Honolulu is further organized into 36 elected neighborhood boards. Unlike other U.S. states, the public education system is administered by the state Department of Education and guided by an elected board of citizens. Hawaii is home to almost 1.3 million residents, with over 900,000 people living within the city and county of Honolulu.

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