Postage stamps and postal history of Hawaii
Encyclopedia
This is a survey of the postage stamp
s and postal history
of Hawaii
.
The Hawaiian Islands
occupy most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean
, southwest of the continental United States
. It was governed by the Kingdom of Hawaii
until 1893, Provisional Government of Hawaii
through 1894, and Republic of Hawaii
until 1898. It became the Territory of Hawaii
and then US State of Hawaii
in 1959.
issued in 1851 by Henry Martyn Whitney
(son of missionaries).
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s and postal history
Postal history
Postal history is the study of postal systems and how they operate and, or, the study of postage stamps and covers and associated material illustrating historical episodes of postal systems...
of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
The Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
occupy most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, southwest of the continental United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was governed by the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
until 1893, Provisional Government of Hawaii
Provisional Government of Hawaii
The Provisional Government of Hawaii abbreviated "P.G." was proclaimed on January 17, 1893 by the 13 member Committee of Safety under the leadership of Sanford B. Dole...
through 1894, and Republic of Hawaii
Republic of Hawaii
The Republic of Hawaii was the formal name of the government that controlled Hawaii from 1894 to 1898 when it was run as a republic. The republic period occurred between the administration of the Provisional Government of Hawaii which ended on July 4, 1894 and the adoption of the Newlands...
until 1898. It became the Territory of Hawaii
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...
and then US State of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
in 1959.
First stamps
The first stamps of Hawaii were the Hawaiian MissionariesHawaiian Missionaries
The Hawaiian Missionaries are the first postage stamps of the Kingdom of Hawaii, issued in 1851. They came to be known as the "Missionaries" because they were primarily found on the correspondence of missionaries working in the Hawaiian Islands...
issued in 1851 by Henry Martyn Whitney
Henry Martyn Whitney
Henry Martyn Whitney was an early journalist in the Kingdom of Hawaii. Born of early missionaries, he became the first postmaster and founded several long-lasting newspapers.-Early life:...
(son of missionaries).
See also
- Hawaiian MissionariesHawaiian MissionariesThe Hawaiian Missionaries are the first postage stamps of the Kingdom of Hawaii, issued in 1851. They came to be known as the "Missionaries" because they were primarily found on the correspondence of missionaries working in the Hawaiian Islands...
- Hawaiian Philatelic SocietyHawaiian Philatelic SocietyThe Hawaiian Philatelic Society is an organization for stamp collectors to meet, exchange philatelic information, and auction their duplicate postage stamps. It is a branch of the American Philatelic Society and was established in 1911.-Location:...
- List of people on stamps of Hawaii
Further reading
- Henry A. Meyer. Hawaii, its stamp and postal history. New York: Philatelic Foundation, 1948.