Involvement in the Spanish-American War, acquisition of Hawaii and introduction

44b. Hawaiian Annexation

Judiciary History Center

Ali'iolani Hale, completed in 1874, was the home of the Hawaiian Legislature in the days before annexation.

By the time the United States got serious about looking beyond its own borders to conquer new lands, much of the world had already been claimed. Only a few distant territories in Africa and Asia and remote islands in the Pacific remained free from imperial grasp. Hawaii was one such plum. Led by a hereditary monarch, the inhabitants of the kingdom prevailed as an independent state. American expansionists looked with greed on the strategically located islands and waited patiently to plan their move.

Foothold in Hawaii

Interest in Hawaii began in America as early as the 1820s, when New England missionaries tried in earnest to spread their faith. Since the 1840s, keeping European powers out of Hawaii became a principal foreign policy goal. Americans acquired a true foothold in Hawaii as a result of the sugar trade. The United States government provided generous terms to Hawaiian sugar growers, and after the Civil War, profits began to swell. A turning point in U.S.-Hawaiian relations occurred in 1890, when Congress approved the McKinley Tariff, which raised import rates on foreign sugar. Hawaiian sugar planters were now being undersold in the American market, and as a result, a depression swept the islands. The sugar growers, mostly white Americans, knew that if Hawaii were to be annexed by the United States, the tariff problem would naturally disappear. At the same time, the Hawaiian throne was passed to Queen Liliuokalani, who determined that the root of Hawaii's problems was foreign interference. A great showdown was about to unfold.

Annexing Hawaii

In January 1893, the planters staged an uprising to overthrow the Queen. At the same time, they appealed to the United States armed forces for protection. Without Presidential approval, marines stormed the islands, and the American minister to the islands raised the stars and stripes in Honolulu. The Queen was forced to abdicate, and the matter was left for Washington politicians to settle. By this time, Grover Cleveland had been inaugurated President. Cleveland was an outspoken anti-imperialist and thought Americans had acted shamefully in Hawaii. He withdrew the annexation treaty from the Senate and ordered an investigation into potential wrongdoings. Cleveland aimed to restore Liliuokalani to her throne, but American public sentiment strongly favored annexation.

The matter was prolonged until after Cleveland left office. When war broke out with Spain in 1898, the military significance of Hawaiian naval bases as a way station to the Spanish Philippines outweighed all other considerations. President William McKinley signed a joint resolution annexing the islands, much like the manner in which Texas joined the Union in 1845. Hawaii remained a territory until granted statehood as the fiftieth state in 1959.

Ali'iolani Hale
This website about Ali'iolani Hale, home of the Hawaiian legislature from 1874, offers a history of the building, including details of Wilcox's rebellion in 1887 and the establishment of the Republic of Hawaii. Illustrated.

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Footholds in the Pacific
In 1893 Americans living in Hawaii overthrew the existing government, and American troops supported the coup. Hawaii became yet another trophy of the Age of Imperialism. This site tells the story with some pictures and links to key players and events. Be sure to check out the "Apology Resolution" passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton 100 years after the event.

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Iolani Palace
Iolani Palace, built in Honolulu by King Kalakaua, was the last official residence of the Hawaiian royalty family. This webpage offers a history and description of the bulding.

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Kalaupapa
In an effort to halt the spread of leprosy through the islands, King Kamehameha in 1850 designated Kalaupapa, on the north shore of Molokai, as a colony for those who fell victim to the disease. This webpage tells the story of the colony and the work of Belgian missionary, Father Damien, who devoted his life to caring for the sick there.

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Kalukalu Homestead
The story of the Kalukalu Homestead is told on this webpage by the Kona Historical Society. It describes the settlement in 1850 by an English adventurer who, in a fairly typical fashion, brought many changes over a very short period of time. Illustrations.

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