''The Polynesian'' was a 4-8 page

weekly newspaper Weekly newspaper is a general-news or Current affairs (news format), current affairs publication that is issued once or twice a week in a wide variety broadsheet, magazine, and electronic publishing, digital formats. Similarly, a biweekly newspap ...

published in

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

, that had two periods of publication: from June 6, 1840, to December 11, 1841, and then from May 18, 1844, to February 6, 1864. From 1845 to 1861, it was the official publication of the government of the

Hawaiian Kingdom The Hawaiian Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi ( Hawaiian: ɛ ɐwˈpuni həˈvɐjʔi, was an archipelagic country from 1795 to 1893, which eventually encompassed all of the inhabited Hawaiian Islands. It was established in 1795 w ...

. ''The Polynesian'' was the leading newspaper in

Oahu Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwe ...

in the mid-1800s.

History

James Jackson Jarves founded the newspaper in June 1840, running it with funds from the

American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was among the first American Christian mission, Christian missionary organizations. It was created in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College. In the 19th century it was the l ...

, advertisements, and subscriptions. However, it was not profitable, and was closed after two and half years of publication. Written for Honolulu's foreign residents, it was among the first Hawaiian newspapers to feature puff pieces that were barely disguised advertising. Jarves restarted ''The Polynesian'' in May 1844, positioning it as impartial. However, in 1845, the Hawaiian Government bought a printing press and ''The Polynesian.'' King

Kamehameha III Kamehameha III (born Kauikeaouli) (March 17, 1814 – December 15, 1854) was the third king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name was Keaweaweula Kīwalaō Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula K ...

commissioned the paper as the "Official Journal of the Hawaiian Government." As such, it published copies of enacted legislation, as well as policies of Kamehameha III and his successor,

Kamehameha IV Kamehameha IV (Alekanetero ʻIolani Kalanikualiholiho Maka o ʻIouli Kūnuiākea o Kūkāʻilimoku; Anglicisation, anglicized as Alexander Liholiho) (February 9, 1834 – November 30, 1863), reigned as the List of Hawaiian monarchs, fourth monar ...

. Meanwhile, it continued to feature "local and international news, business and shipping news, police reports, editorials, and fiction," with its length depending on how much news there was to print that week. Despite being the mouthpiece of the Hawaiian government, Jarves had a pro-American editorial bias, promoting

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

and Western culture as superior, advocating for the Great Māhele, and endorsing

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for instruction in schools. In 1848, Jarves left Hawaii, and his printer Charles Gordon Hopkins became editor. Abraham Fornander, who edited several other Honolulu newspapers through 1853 then served as editor of ''The Polynesian'', buying it in 1861. It proved not to be profitable, publishing its last edition on February 6, 1864.

References

Defunct newspapers published in Hawaii 1840 establishments in Hawaii 1864 disestablishments in Hawaii {{Hawaii-newspaper-stub