The first Hawaiians were people from the Polynesian Islands near Asia. They arrived in Hawaii more than 1,000 years ago. Research shows they probably traveled to the islands in large canoes with two hulls, or frames. They brought plants and livestock, including dogs, with them. Early Hawaiians raised pigs for meat and harvested crops such as bananas, coconuts, and taro. The Inuit are another group of early settlers in the West. Sometimes called Eskimos, the Inuit are Native Americans who settled in what is now the state of Alaska. Other Native American groups who settled in the West include the Yakima, Klamath, and the Chumash.

The Polynesian settlers spread out over eight separate islands of Hawaii. Over time they began to fight. Chief Kamehameha set out to rule over all eight islands. His armies fought other chiefs, but, slowly the individual islands became part of the Kingdom of Hawaii. British Captain James Cook became the first European to reach the islands in 1778. Other traders from Europe and the United States followed. In less than a hundred years, people from other countries owned all of Hawaii's sugar cane plantations. Immigrant workers came from China, the Philippines, Japan, and Europe. Queen Lydia Liliuokalani tried to keep plantation owners from taking over. She was overthrown in 1893. In 1898, Hawaii became a United States territory and in 1959, Hawaii became our nation's 50th state.