| According
to our kahunas, Maui started five million years ago. It was the
result of volcanic eruption on the ocean floor creating two
adjacent volcanoes. An undersea volcano, an embolic island try
to reach the surface. These volcanoes formed into one island and
became Maui. One of the volcano that was made was the West Maui
mountains that extinct million years ago. The other volcano is
Haleakala which is 10,023 above sea level. Haleakala is now
considered a dormant volcano. Fountains of molten magma soared
into the sky as eruption followed eruption. Red lava ended in
huge clouds of steams as they flow slowly into the ocean. Lava
flows and the gradual erosion of the volcano's slopes combined
together to form a land bridge between the islands. The isthmus
became the rich plain of Central Maui, which today is where most
of islands agriculture, industries and population is located.
The first people to migrate here in Maui were
the Marquesas. They sailed in 750 A.D. from the pacific in their
flagged doubled-hulled sailing canoes. The Marqueses didn't know
anything about the island. They just notice that every time
their birds go to this direction and come back after several
month are much fatter. Marquesas started traveling. They chose
the best of their best to go to their new land. Example is they
brought with them their best hunters, so that they won't starve
when they reach their destination. They also brought with them
their families, animals, crops, and plants. For hundreds of
years they built grass houses and stone temples, made tapa cloth
and outrigger canoes, fished and ground the root of the taro
plant into poi. The Tahitians followed the Marquesas and brought
with them their goddesses and religion. The Tahitians introduced
to the islands the kapu system, a strict social order that
affected all aspects of life and became the core of ancient
Hawaiian culture.
The Hawaiians were living on simple life
style. This changed when Captain James Cook discovered Maui on
November 26, 1778. In Cook's wake came traders, whalers, and
missionaries. At the height of the whaling era (1840-1865).
Lahaina served as anchorage for more than 500 ships.
The mid 1700s began the modern Hawaiian
history. King Kamehameha I took up residence in Lahaina after
conquering Maui in bloody battle in Iao Valley. Kamehameha's
descendant reigned over the islands until 1872. They were
followed by rulers from another ancient family of chiefs,
including Queen Liliukalani who ruled in 1893 when the monarchy
was overturned. One year later, the Republic of Hawaii was
founded. They island was annexed by the United States in 1898
and made territory in 1900. That made Hawaii the 50th state in
U.S.
Courtesy of
http://atdpweb.soe.berkeley.edu/2130/vchan/history.html
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