On January 18, 1778, two large ships approached Kaua`i. Led by British Captain James Cook, the sailors became the first non-Polynesians to see the Hawaiian Islands.
Stopping to take on provisions, they were given a warm aloha welcome. On Cook’s second visit, hostilities broke out between Hawaiians and Cook’s men, and Cook was clubbed to death. But Hawai`i was now on the map, and the islands became a popular stopover for trade ships traveling between America and Asia. Because of its location and long growing season, it looked like a valuable acquisition to several nations. However, before foreign greed robbed the Hawaiians of their land, western diseases, to which they had no immunity, took a huge toll. When Cook arrived, there were about 300,000 Hawaiians. By 1853, there were fewer than 70,000.
