The Hawaiian Gazette: The First Hawaiian Newspaper Published.

On September 4, 1866, the first newspaper was published in the Hawaiian Islands. For the next 53 years, the Hawaiian Gazette covered all printable news, at least as far as American interests on the islands were concerned.

Hawaii in the 1860s

Although Hawaii didn’t formally become a state until 1959, this Pacific island has seen a lot of American activity since her 1860s. American farmers found the fertile soil ideal for growing sugar, cotton and other important crops, so they built extensive plantations on the island and exported millions of pounds of sugar. . News events in Hawaii, such as what happened to the Hawaiian royal family and the recent leprosy colony on Moloka’i, meant big changes for these big companies, but at the time they weren’t meant to keep the entire American and Hawaiian business informed. I had no way of delivering it. . They were basically flying blind until something happened that ruined their crops or inflated their prices.

The Hawaiian Gazette

To keep people informed of events, Hawaii’s first newspaper, the Hawaiian Gazette, published its first issue on September 4, 1866. Aside from the general news of the day, the Hawaiian Gazette’s primary purpose was to support the Hawaiian people’s sugar industry. They published weekly shipment schedules, sugar export volumes and export statistics for other products and commodities, providing a promotional platform for various sugar and sugar-related enterprises.

In fact, the relationship between the Hawaiian Gazette and the sugar industry has been a major factor, especially in political coverage of the Hawaiian monarchy. Over the course of the paper’s existence, he had four monarchs rise and fall, but as long as their sweet interests were aligned, the Gazette held them in high esteem. However, beginning in 1873, during the reign of King Kalakaua, the Gazette became decidedly anti-monarchist, criticizing the lavish coronation of the new king and the traditional Hawaiian dances, chants, anthems, and other traditions associated with the celebration. He even condemned some of the Hawaiian customs. and hula hoops.

Suddenly, the Hawaii Gazette became a major force in the growing annexation movement in Hawaii, calling for the establishment of a new governmental apparatus in the region. This happened to him in 1887. Then a new bayonet constitution stripped the monarchies of all power, turning them into nominal existence. With the government now dominated by foreign interests, the Hawaiian Gazette turned government coverage back positive.

The Gazette‘s Downfall

The Hawaiian Gazette was soon criticized for its biased reporting, which included fervent support for local businessmen and adamant opposition to Queen Liliuokalani. They refused to publish a letter protesting the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, called her a “counterrevolutionary” and claimed she was illegally trying to regain the throne, while it represented the “truth”. claimed to be the only publication Please see the extended report of the event. There may be a reason they resorted to such sensational coverage. In 1918, the Hawaiian Gazette was printing its final issue after losing a battle to remain relevant when her rival newspaper entered the scene.