Where Is Pearl Harbor Located?

Pearl Harbor is a land-locked harbor on the island of O’ahu in Hawaii, west of the city of Honolulu. A naturally shallow harbor, the harbor was converted into a military base for the United States and is the site of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 by Japan, an event that caused the U.S. to enter World War II. The attack on Pearl Harbor is seen as a catalyst for the overthrowing of Nazi Germany and ultimately, the contemporary political world. Today, millions of visitors to Hawaii see Pearl Harbor first hand, as they make their way to the USS Arizona Memorial to pay tribute those lost in this pivotal attack.

Pearl Harbor is located in the Hawaiian Islands. Early Hawaiians called the harbor Wai Momi, which translates into “pearl water.” This namesake comes from the vast amount of pearl-making oysters that used to be present in the harbor before water pollution from ships rendered their survival impossible.

Before colonization, the Hawaiians regarded Pearl Harbor as the home of the shark goddess, Kaʻahupahau. The harbor was inaccessible to marine navigation until the Hawaiians cut a channel into the estuary. The channel is known now as Pearl River.

Pearl Harbor was naturally rather shallow and suited the Hawaiians well, but as the islands were colonized and technologies advanced, the depth wasn’t suitable for ships and vessels. However, as the Navy of the United States grew and the whaling and trading industries expanded, a need for ports in the Pacific Ocean grew.

The United States began looking at O’ahu and Honolulu in particular as sites for a harbor base in 1820. American interest in Hawaii only grew, and visiting ships became more and more common to the island of O’ahu.

Ships from the United States often brought advice for Hawaii about governing and establishing relationships with larger foreign powers, solidifying a friendship with some circles of Hawaiians, although Americans often discounted local ordinances deemed unfair such as those concerning sales of alcohol and bringing women on ships in port.

Significance of Pearl Harbor

After the Civil War, having ports in the Pacific was becoming vital to success as a nation. The Navy visited the islands as prospective bases again in 1868 and upon the death of a Hawaiian king, prospects of establishing these bases looked quite possible.

The succeeding king was King Kalakaua, who ultimately became the last reigning king of Hawaii. During his time as king, he was very friendly with Americans, allowing Hawaiian goods to be imported to the United States tax free and granted the government rights to establish a coal and repair system in Pearl Harbor. Shortly after, Pearl Harbor was leased as a military base to the United States.

The base began to grow, and in doing so acquired an immigration station and several governmental departments settled there as well, among them the War Department and Department of Labor and Commerce. As tension between Japan and China increased, the military continued building the base. Interestingly enough, a mock attack on the base was simulated in 1933 and defense strategies on the base were deemed a failure.

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor came on December 7th, 1941, a date that President Roosevelt declared would “live in infamy.” The military knew an attack was coming as coded messages intercepted from Japan had been cracked, however the place of the attack was unforeseen. There were several waves of attack, each comprising of almost two hundred planes. Nine Navy ships sunk and twenty one were left incredibly damaged. The death toll was about 2,300 people lost.

The USS Arizona Memorial now stands in the harbor, paying tribute to the 1,102 people who were lost when the Arizona was sunk. The remains of this battleship were declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989. Since Pearl Harbor is still a military base hosting ships and submarines, it is likely that many of the historic buildings from the World War II era will require renovation and rebuilding in the years to come.