The evolution of Hawaiʻi’s road system from 1840 until 1941 demonstrates how roads were built to promote western economic development, primarily agriculture, and by the 1880s, tourism. Despite tremendous isolation, leaders—dominated by the Caucasian elite—accessed the funding, engineering expertise, and technology to build roads and bridges that rivaled those on the US mainland and also made natural beauty accessible. In 1924 roads were a key component of the Hawaiʻi Bill of Rights. Congress passed this bill, which clarified the Territory of Hawaiʻi’s status as an “integral part of the Union,” ... More

The evolution of Hawaiʻi’s road system from 1840 until 1941 demonstrates how roads were built to promote western economic development, primarily agriculture, and by the 1880s, tourism. Despite tremendous isolation, leaders—dominated by the Caucasian elite—accessed the funding, engineering expertise, and technology to build roads and bridges that rivaled those on the US mainland and also made natural beauty accessible. In 1924 roads were a key component of the Hawaiʻi Bill of Rights. Congress passed this bill, which clarified the Territory of Hawaiʻi’s status as an “integral part of the Union,” and allowed it to access federal funding. Washington’s involvement in Hawaiʻi increased, as did the islands’ dependence on the national government. Federal money helped the territory build its road system, including major scenic byways, and weather the Great Depression. The Hawaiʻi Bill of Rights thus became a stepping stone on the path to statehood. The core of this study is the intriguing tales of road projects that established the island’s most renowned scenic drives: the Pali Road, byways around Kīlauea Volcano, Haleakalā Highway, and the Hāna Belt Road. This unique approach provides a fascinating perspective for understanding Hawaiʻi’s social dynamics, as well as its political, environmental, and economic history.