Hawaii has only been part of the United States since 1959. The 50th state has deep roots running through it that happened long before it was named part of the Union. The history goes back nearly 1500 years, full of monarchies and coup d’état.

The first inhabitants of Hawaii were the Polynesians of the Marquesas Islands. They canoed over 2000 miles to migrate to the islands under only the starts and moon. They set foot on Hawaii’s big island.

It wasn’t until 500 years later when people from Tahiti brought their religious beliefs to the islands. This brought in a type of social hierarchy and strict land rules.

Captain James Cook landed on Kauai in 1778 and named them the Sandwich Islands, after the Earl of Sandwich. After that in the 1800s a King tried to unite the islands and put them under a royal rule. He succeeded only to have his son abolish the system that was put into place by the Tahitians.

After the previous religious system crumbled, the Protestants stepped in to fill their void when they arrived on the big island in 1820. Western disease was introduced into the native populations with devastating result for these people.

In 1898, Hawaii became a territory of the United States. This was after American colonists overthrew the Hawaiian Kingdom. The overthrow was considered peaceful, but the coup was very controversial.

Of course, Hawaii saw the devastation of the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941, which prompted the United States to get involved in World War II.

Japan also signed its surrender aboard the USS Missouri in 1945. The ship still is in Pearl Harbor today.

So on your next Hawaii holiday, remember that it’s not all about the sun and the surf. Seek out a bit of Hawaii and American history and see what makes the place so incredibly unique.