After the Pacific War in the Windward Islands
American power in the Pacific increased significantly after the Second World War. For the Polynesian Islands, this meant atomic testing and frequent visits by American warships after the years of occupation during the War. The comparison with Hawaii continued as Americans began to focus on the wild, artistic life of Americans who chose the French colony over the US state. There was also increased interest in the past of Tahiti's savage interaction with the Europeans, while Hawaii was seen as having been peaceful and accepting of American culture in earlier centuries.
Archives:
Fahnestock South Seas Collection at the Library of Congress
Albert Erskine Papers, 1930-1999 at the University of Virginia
Media of the Day:
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/969782635