Skip to main content

How did life change in Hawaii and at Pearl Harbor after the attack?

The day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the U.S. entered World War II. Hawaii was at that time a U.S. territory, rather than a state. The day after the attack, Hawaii’s Territorial Governor, Joseph B. Poindexter, declared martial law, which suspended some civil liberties and imposed a curfew on the island to maintain security. National Guard troops were mobilized on the island to maintain order.


About one third of...

The day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the U.S. entered World War II. Hawaii was at that time a U.S. territory, rather than a state. The day after the attack, Hawaii’s Territorial Governor, Joseph B. Poindexter, declared martial law, which suspended some civil liberties and imposed a curfew on the island to maintain security. National Guard troops were mobilized on the island to maintain order.


About one third of Hawaii's population at the time was made up of people of Japanese descent, who had been coming to the island to work on the plantations since the 1800s. In fact, there were more people of Japanese descent in Hawaii than in the mainland U.S. While Japanese and Japanese-Americans were placed in internment camps on the mainland—a process that clearly violated the Constitution—very few people of Japanese descent (about 2,000 out of 157,000) were placed in internment centers in Hawaii. They were too essential to running all sectors of the economy and there were too many of them to be interned on the island.


Large numbers of military personnel came to the island and were stationed at Pearl Harbor. Commercial shipping was paused during the war, as all shipping operations were related to the military. Before the war, Hawaii's economy was mainly agricultural, and its main exports were pineapples and sugar. However, the Great Depression had hit the island hard, and the economy was in the doldrums. World War II caused a huge growth in the island's economy, as new businesses developed to meet the needs of the arriving military personnel. In addition, the construction industry boomed. 


Labor union activity was not allowed during the beginning of the war, and, under martial law, wages remained frozen. In 1943, restrictions on labor were ended, and many of the workers at the Hawaiian sugar plantations began to unionize. In fact, workers were unionized at all but one of the island's 35 plantations. However, the plantations faced a decline in the midst of an ongoing construction boom and the growth of other industries, and they never recovered after the war. Following the war, tourism became one of Hawaii's main industries, and it became a state in 1959.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

In Martel's Life of Pi, how does writing a diary help Pi Patel build on his leadership skills?

At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can... At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can do this by writing down events, problems and solutions, and reflections to look back on when confronted with repeated problems. It can ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why did Tybalt attack and kill Mercutio instead of Romeo, who he had originally been targeting?

Though Tybalt's quarrel is with Romeo, he begins the momentous duel in Act 3 by fighting with and killing Mercutio instead. Tybalt ultimately attacks Mercutio because the garrulous and hot-headed character insults Tybalt and goads him into a duel to protect Romeo's honor. From the beginning of the encounter in Act 3, Scene 1, it's clear that Mercutio is itching for a fight. For instance, when Tybalt signals that he wants to talk to Mercutio... Though Tybalt's quarrel is with Romeo, he begins the momentous duel in Act 3 by fighting with and killing Mercutio instead. Tybalt ultimately attacks Mercutio because the garrulous and hot-headed character insults Tybalt and goads him into a duel to protect Romeo's honor. From the beginning of the encounter in Act 3, Scene 1, it's clear that Mercutio is itching for a fight. For instance, when Tybalt signals that he wants to talk to Mercutio and Benvolio, Mercutio responds "And but one word with one of us?/ Couple it w...
Post a Comment
Read more