William Fremont Blackman examines the social and political forces that shaped the Hawaiian Islands from their earliest settlements to the late 19th century. Using primary source material, Blackman chronicles the rise of Hawaiian civilization, the impact of European and American interests on Hawaiian society, and the events leading up to the annexation of Hawaii by the United States in 1898.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.