In recent times, this tragedy has hit the Hawaiian Islands harder than any other island group. ... Not surprisingly, human colonization of Hawaii has been disastrous to its wildlife. ... While the Polynesians did have a significant impact on Hawaii's wildlife, the Europeans that colonized the islands began changing the face of Hawaii at a much more rapid pace, starting with Cook. ... Before 1820 Europeans had introduced cattle, sheep, horses, donkeys, turkeys, and cats. ... Predation by alien species has also taken its toll on Hawaii's fragile ecosystems. ...

• Word Count: 3046
• Approx Pages: 12
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Far more important to the United States in its expansionist mood was the acquisition of the Hawaiian Islands, first visited by American missionaries in the 1820's. ... American immigrants produced sugar and pineapples there for the home market, and sailed their whalers into Hawaiian ports. Increasingly concerned about the dangers presented by imperialist rivalries in the Pacific, the Americans strengthened their naval power by securing from the Hawaiian government in 1887 the exclusive right to use Pearl Harbor. In the same year, seeking still greater control, American businessmen enginee...

• Word Count: 2823
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: High School

The 1800s Even in 1820, when America was a fledgling nation still insignificant in the eyes of world-class powers such as Britain and France, it still dreamed of an overseas empire rivaling that of Great Britain's. ... Spanish-American War Having already annexed Hawaii and forced Japan to embrace western contact by duress, the United States was already beginning to embrace both territorial and economic imperialism as a foreign policy as all the large European powers had done at the time. ...

• Word Count: 3500
• Approx Pages: 14
• Grade Level: Undergraduate