Islands of Destiny

Book excerpt: This is the complete history of Hawaii. It is the fast-moving narrative of an island nation whose settlement antedates the arrival of European pioneers by a thousand years, and whose destiny it was to become the fiftieth star in the flag of the United States of America. It tells how the Islanders have created a modern-day miracle through education, economic progress, and financial growth in the past 150 years. Olive Wyndette became fascinated by personal contacts with the native Hawaiians during her residence in Honolulu and, as a result, planned this book on the living history of Hawaii. The little—known but dramatic story of the prehistoric period is told in the Prologue. The ensuring text tells how Captain James Cook discovers the Islands, naming them after the Earl of Sandwich. Kamehameha I (the Conqueror) rises to power and unifies the islands through a series of bloody, inter–Island wars. The New England missionaries arrive and are eventually permitted to build the Islands' first Christian church. Following the establishment of a constitutional government, the Islands become the coveted prize of powerful European nations. Finally, annexation of the Islands to the United States is realized in 1898. The Epilogue covers the developments of the twentieth century.