Hawaii History

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


 * 300-500 CE: First wave of settlers, from Marquesas Islands
 * Early The islands were ruled by a succession of royal families but were not united under one ruler until 1810.
 * 1000s: Second wave of settlers, from Raiatea and Bora Bora.
 * 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.
 * 1840's: King Kamehameha III decided to divide the lands of Hawaii. This decision lead to the Land Commission Award (LCA) and Royal Patent (RP)
 * 1860: King Kamehameha IV signed an Act to Regulate Names. Prior to this individuals had only a single name. The law required the King's subjects to adopt surnames: 1. legally married women would use her husband's name as her surname. 2. every child born within wedlock would have three names - a Christian name, a Hawaiian name and the fathers' name as a surname. 3. any child born out of wedlock also would have three names - a Christian name, a Hawaiian name, and the mothers' name as a surname. 4. individuals over the age of twenty would retain their single name.
 * 1830s-1890s: Thousands of settlers and laborers came to Hawaii, mostly from the Orient.
 * 15 April 1889: Father Damien de Veuster, "Apostle of the Lepers" died.
 * 1894: The Republic of Hawaii was established after the Monarchy was dethroned in 1893.
 * 1898: Hawaii was annexed by the United States.
 * 1900: The Territory of Hawaii was established.
 * 27 Nov 1919: Laie Hawaii LDS Temple dedicated.
 * 21 August 1959: Hawaii attained statehood.
 * 12 October 1963: Polynesian Cultural Center opened.

Local Histories
Some of the most valuable sources for family history research are local histories. Published histories of towns, counties, and states usually contain accounts of families. They describe the settlement of the area and the founding of churches, schools, and businesses. You can also find lists of pioneers, soldiers, and civil officials. Even if your ancestor is not listed, information on other relatives may be included that will provide important clues for locating your ancestor. A local history may also suggest other records to search. Local histories are extensively collected by the Family History Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies.


 * A Bibliography of American County Histories


 * United States Local Histories in the Library of Congress

State Histories Useful to Genealogists
Good genealogists strive to understand the life and times of their ancestors. In this sense, any history is useful. But certain kinds of state, county, and local histories, especially older histories published between 1845 and 1945, often include biographical sketches of prominent individuals. The sketches usually tend toward the lauditory, but may include some genealogical details. If these histories are indexed or alphabetical, check for an ancestor's name. Some examples for the State of Hawaii were:


 * The Hawaiian Kingdom an especially helpful source for studying the history of Hawaii

United States History
The following are only a few of the many sources that are available:


 * The Almanac of American History, This provides brief historical essays and chronological descriptions of thousands of key events in United States history.


 * Dictionary of American History, Revised ed This includes historical sketches on various topics in U.S. history, such as wars, people, laws, and organizations. A snippet view is available at Google books.


 * Webster's Guide to American History: A Chronological, Geographical, and Biographical Survey and Compendium  This includes a history, some maps, tables, and other historical information.


 * Writings on American History Has the full text available at Google Books

To find more books and articles about Hawaii 's history use the Internet Google search for phases like "Hawaii history." Family History Library Catalog Surname Search lists many more histories under topics like:


 * HAWAII - HISTORY
 * HAWAII. [COUNTY] - HISTORY
 * HAWAII, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - HISTORY
 * HAWAII, BIBLIOGRAPHY

Web Sites

 * Hawaiian Ancient History
 * Hawaii History
 * Hawaiian Roots
 * History of Hawaii