Home : About Oahu : History

A cultural experience of Oahu is incomplete without a step back into the history of the islands. From ancient Hawaiians who canoed across the Pacific, to Christian missionaries and plantation workers who immigrated to Hawaii, to Hawaii's royal traditions, to the role of Hawaii in World War II to Statehood, Oahu offers a fascinating journey into influences that have impacted Hawaii, the Pacific and the US.

Ancient Hawaii

The first people to settle in the Hawaiian Islands were highly skilled sea navigators from the South Pacific who brought with them food provisions, plants, and domestic animals, as well as knowledge of ocean navigation based on the stars...

Great Hawaiian Rulers

The History of Hawaii was shaped by many driving forces but each ruler left a distinct mark of their own from King Kamehameha I who united the islands to King Kalakaua, the Merry Monarch who revived the tradition of hula.

Colonization, Plantation Days, & Statehood

Today, Oahu is a melting pot of cultures that have blended and transformed its traditions, festivals and foods. The beautiful multicultural make-up of Oahu owes itself to the days of the sugar plantations.