Boarding School and Land Allotment Eras 1879-1933

1890

Native Hawaiians are decimated by introduction of foreign diseases

Father Damien's funeral, who died of leprosy. Image: Library of Congress
Father Damien's funeral, who died of leprosy. Image: Library of Congress

Diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, tuberculosis, smallpox, measles, leprosy, and typhoid fever from the time of Cook’s contact to the late 1800s reduce the Native Hawaiian population from over one million to less than 40,000 by 1890. From the 1780s to the 1840s, Hawaiians suffer a population collapse of nearly 90 percent in less than 70 years (Trask, 1999).

Traumatic Event