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Hawaii
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HISTORYLook this term up in the glossary.

The following important events in the history of Hawaii affected political boundaries, record keeping, and family movements.

Early

The islands were ruled by a succession of royal families but were not united under one ruler until 1810.

1778

Captain James Cook of the British Navy arrived and named the islands the Sandwich Islands.

1820

Protestant missionaries from New England brought Christianity to Hawaii.

1830s-1890s

Thousands of settlers and laborers came to Hawaii, mostly from the Orient.

1894

The Republic of HawaiiLook this term up in the glossary. was established after the Monarchy was dethroned in 1893.

1898

Hawaii was annexed by the United States.

1900

The Territory of HawaiiLook this term up in the glossary. was established.

1959

Hawaii attained statehood.

An especially helpful source for studying the history of Hawaii is Ralph S. Kuykendall, The Hawaiian Kingdom, 3 vols. (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1966-1968; FHL book 996.9 H2kr; vol. 1 on film 1321394 item 2).


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LAND AND PROPERTYLook this term up in the glossary.

Prior to 1840, land in Hawaii belonged to the king and the chiefs. There were no titles to land, and allotments could be taken away at any time. The Constitution in 1840 stated that the land belonged to the king but that it was not his personal property. The chiefs and other tenants were recognized collectively as co-owners of the land under the king's management.

Numerous foreigners eventually settled in the islands and began to dispute the king's ownership of all lands. This led to the establishment in 1845 of the Board of Commissioners to Quiet Land TitlesLook this term up in the glossary., known as the Land CommissionLook this term up in the glossary.. By decision of the king and his chiefs, the king was given his own property and the remainder was divided equally among the government, the chiefs, and the tenants. This was the most important event in the distribution of land in Hawaii and is known as the Great MaheleLook this term up in the glossary..

To acquire ownership of land, an individual made a claim to the Land Commission. If approval was granted, the claimant received an award, which he then presented to the Minister of the Interior, who issued a Royal Patent. The Royal Patent gave the individual sole ownership of his land once he paid an assessment of cash or land to the government. The Hawaii State Archives has microfilm copies of many of these records. It also has a “Land File” of letters and documents dating from the 1830s.

The Family History Library has microfilm copies of the:

These records and subsequent land records are located at:

Bureau of Conveyances
1151 Punchbowl Street Room 123
Honolulu, HI 96813
Telephone: 808-587-0151
Fax:808-587-0136
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 2867
Honolulu, HI 96803
The Family History Library has the Bureau of Conveyance deeds (1844-1900) and deed indexes (1845-1917) on 108 microfilms.

The following index and publications may be helpful:

Office of the Commissioner of Public Lands of the Territory of Hawaii. Indices of Awards Made by the Board of Commissioners to Quiet Land Titles in the Hawaiian Islands. Honolulu: Hawaii Territorial Office, 1929. (FHL film 1321397 item 2.) This includes records of individuals receiving lands from approximately 1848 to 1890.

Chinen, Jon J. The Great Mahele: Hawaii's Land Division of 1848. Honolulu: The University Press of Hawaii, 1974. (FHL book 996.9 A1 no. 9.)

Chinen, Jon J. Original Land Titles in Hawaii. N.p., 1961. (FHL book 996.9 R2c.)

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