Historical Event Timeline
Captain James Cook
Captain James Cook
1778-
1779
For close to twelve hundred years the peoples of the Hawaiian archipelago had lived an isolated existence. That all changed in 1778 when Captain James Cook and his men aboard the HMS Revolution and Discovery made landfall on the shores of the island of Hawaii. Their arrival and their presence in Hawaiian society was precipitous. For the first time, Hawaiians were being exposed to western concepts and western values. These British mariners brought new ideas and perhaps of equal importance, they brought sophisticated nautical equipment to relocate the islands.
It is a commonly accepted view that Captain Cook was the first haole (foreigner) to journey to Hawaii. Almost immediately after the creation of the Harrison chronometer in England (the first device to accurately measure longitude), western nations came to Hawaii. Cook, as a mariner and scientist, made optimal use of this sophisticated nautical measuring device. His skills would bring him to lands previously unexplored by Westerners. This was a quintessential event of modern technological achievement..
For close to twelve hundred years the peoples of the Hawaiian archipelago had lived an isolated existence. That all changed in 1778 when Captain James Cook and his men aboard the HMS Revolution and Discovery made landfall on the shores of the island of Hawaii. Their arrival and their presence in Hawaiian society was precipitous. For the first time, Hawaiians were being exposed to western concepts and western values. These British mariners brought new ideas and perhaps of equal importance, they brought sophisticated nautical equipment to relocate the islands.
It is a commonly accepted view that Captain Cook was the first haole (foreigner) to journey to Hawaii. Almost immediately after the creation of the Harrison chronometer in England (the first device to accurately measure longitude), western nations came to Hawaii. Cook, as a mariner and scientist, made optimal use of this sophisticated nautical measuring device. His skills would bring him to lands previously unexplored by Westerners. This was a quintessential event of modern technological achievement..
1792
British Mariner George Vancouver (who traveled as a midshipman with Captain James Cook on his second and third exploratory voyages of the Pacific) returns to Hawaii and meets with Kamehameha I. At the time, Kamehameha requests the protection of the British Crown against intruder nations seeking to overrun the fledgling Hawaiian Kingdom. Captain Vancouver’s special diplomatic abilities make him a favorite of the Hawaiian ali‘i (royalty). When he is asked by Hawaiians to sell them firearms, he wisely states “No. It isn’t right to sell things for killing people.” Archibald Menzies (Vancouver’s surgeon and botanist) instructs the people on prudent planting practices that will improve the island’s food supply.
British Mariner George Vancouver (who traveled as a midshipman with Captain James Cook on his second and third exploratory voyages of the Pacific) returns to Hawaii and meets with Kamehameha I. At the time, Kamehameha requests the protection of the British Crown against intruder nations seeking to overrun the fledgling Hawaiian Kingdom. Captain Vancouver’s special diplomatic abilities make him a favorite of the Hawaiian ali‘i (royalty). When he is asked by Hawaiians to sell them firearms, he wisely states “No. It isn’t right to sell things for killing people.” Archibald Menzies (Vancouver’s surgeon and botanist) instructs the people on prudent planting practices that will improve the island’s food supply.
The routes of Captain James Cook's voyages. The first voyage is shown in red, second voyage in green, and third voyage in blue. The route of Cook's crew following his death is shown as a dashed blue line.
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