Spanish Discover Hawaii in 16th Century

What would the effects of a Spanish discovery of Hawaii two centuries before James Cook discovered it be? Would the Spanish have been likely to spend any effort to conquer the islands if they had known about it?
 
Well, presumably the size of the islands and the fact they are right on the way between the Philippines and New Spain would attract more interest in subduing and converting the place than the other polynesian archipielagos. However, expect it to be a second-rate colony dependent of New Spain rather than Spain proper (like the Philippines), which might make it attractive/vulnerable to other powers a couple centuries later (read: Britain).
 
Well, presumably the size of the islands and the fact they are right on the way between the Philippines and New Spain would attract more interest in subduing and converting the place than the other polynesian archipielagos. However, expect it to be a second-rate colony dependent of New Spain rather than Spain proper (like the Philippines), which might make it attractive/vulnerable to other powers a couple centuries later (read: Britain).

Agreed. Keep in mind that it's distance from both the Philippines and New Spain as well as it's relative paucity of resources mean that the Spanish will put little to no effort into developing the colony. In all likelihood it will be developed to the point of self-sufficiency with a bit of surplus production to facilitate the supply needs of the Manila Galleons.

The Spanish conquest of the Hawaiian Islands would be interesting. I could see the conquistadors playing the divided tribes (no Kamehameha to unify the islands) against one another in order to overcome their numerical disadvantage.

Hawaii will also likely become a base for Whalers earlier than it did in OTL, perhaps leading to it being seized by the British (dominant whalers in the pacific until the mid-late 19th century IIRC) in the early 19th century following TTL's Latin American Wars of Independence.
 
I wonder that a Spanish Hawaii would gradually see the introduction of Filipinos from that Spanish colony to replace native Hawaiians as they die off. It is possible that Hawaii have may be seized, or at least raided, by George Anson on his circumnavigation of the world plundering Spanish holdings. But it is likely that the islands would be seized by the British at some point during (or after) the Seven Years War.
 
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