Hawai'i by Sumner La Croix Summary

Hawai'i: Eight Hundred Years of Political and Economic Change traces the islands' evolution from Polynesian settlement around 1200 CE to modern statehood, analyzing how political systems, land rights, and global economic forces shaped Hawai‘i’s development. Sumner La Croix emphasizes the 19th-century U.S.-Hawai‘i reciprocity treaties, sugar industry dominance, and the 1893 overthrow of the monarchy as pivotal events.

This book is ideal for historians, economics students, and readers interested in colonialism, indigenous rights, or Hawai‘i’s unique trajectory. La Croix’s blend of economic theory and historical analysis offers insights for policymakers studying land redistribution and institutions.

Yes, for its rigorous synthesis of archaeological, historical, and economic research. La Croix provides a nuanced perspective on how global trade, annexation, and oligarchic control (e.g., the “Big Five” corporations) reshaped Hawai‘i’s society—a valuable resource for understanding persistent issues like land sovereignty.

La Croix argues that Hawai‘i’s political order repeatedly adapted to external economic pressures, from pre-contact resource management to U.S. annexation. Key themes include the role of property rights in maintaining power and how the 1876 reciprocity treaty destabilized the monarchy, paving the way for American control.

The book critiques U.S. colonial impacts, detailing how sugar plantations and annexation disrupted Native Hawaiian governance. La Croix highlights the 1893 overthrow of Queen Lili‘uokalani and the lingering effects of land redistribution on indigenous communities.

Sugar production drove Hawai‘i’s 19th-century economy, incentivizing U.S. investment and political interference. La Croix ties the industry’s growth to the reciprocity treaty, which bound Hawai‘i to American markets and accelerated annexation.

As an economic historian, La Croix applies cliometric methods to analyze land tenure systems and trade policies. His career-long focus on institutional change grounds the book’s exploration of Hawai‘i’s adaptability.

Some scholars note the book’s narrow focus on economic structures over cultural narratives. It also leans heavily on Western institutional frameworks, which may overlook Native Hawaiian perspectives on sovereignty.

Unlike broader cultural histories, La Croix prioritizes economic drivers like trade treaties and land laws. The book complements works like Shoal of Time by emphasizing policy over personalities.

Critical milestones include the 1848 Māhele land division, the 1876 reciprocity treaty, the 1893 monarchy overthrow, and the 1959 statehood vote. La Croix ties these to shifting power dynamics between Native Hawaiians, settlers, and the U.S. government.

La Croix details how these sugar-focused firms monopolized Hawai‘i’s economy until statehood, influencing politics to favor plantation interests. Their decline post-1959 marked a shift toward tourism and diversified industry.

The analysis sheds light on contemporary debates over land use, indigenous rights, and economic dependence on tourism. Understanding historical property systems is key to current sovereignty movements.