Impact

Hawaii unwillingly lost its independence when it became a United States territory. The relationship between the Hawaiian Islands and the United States was toxic. Hawaii lost much of its culture, and was forced to share the land with outsiders. However, the U.S. on the other hand, gained a military advantage, more economic value, and the first territory outside of its boundaries. Many events led to the eventual annexation of Hawaii in 1898. The first European explorer, James Cook, in 1778 led to the end of the independent Polynesian nation. At that time, Hawaii was a thriving civilization with an estimated population between 400,000 to 800,000 natives. However, Cook’s “discovery” brought the islands to the attention of three major world powers: Great Britain, France and the United States. As more people came to the Hawaiian Islands, they brought with them contagious diseases such as measles, cholera and gonorrhea which wiped out tens of thousands of native Hawaiians over the next hundred years.