Agricultural leaders vied with the military for control over Hawaii's ports.
Plantation workers joined missionaries to spread Christianity across the islands.
Hawaiians left their farms to work on sugar plantations.
Plantation owners became powerful and eroded the monarchy's authority.
The plantation owners became influential figures in Hawaii and started to exert their power over the monarchy. Through their economic dominance, they were able to erode the authority of the monarchy and gain more control over governmental decisions.
This power struggle between agricultural leaders and the military also extended to control over Hawaii's ports. Both parties recognized the strategic importance of the ports and sought to gain dominance over them. The agricultural leaders wanted control over the ports to facilitate the export of their plantation products, such as sugar, while the military wanted control to establish naval bases for strategic purposes.
Additionally, the spread of Christianity played a significant role in the transformation of Hawaiian society during this period. Missionaries from various Christian denominations came to the islands with the purpose of converting the native population to Christianity. They often received support from plantation owners who saw Christianity as a tool to pacify the Hawaiian people and instill a work ethic that would benefit their plantations.
As a result of these various dynamics, many Hawaiians left their traditional farms to work on the ever-expanding sugar plantations. This contributed to the rapid growth of the plantation industry and the subsequent consolidation of power by the plantation owners. The influx of labor from Hawaiian farms and the increasing dependence on the plantation economy further weakened the authority of the monarchy.