The US An xation of Hawaii
National Interest Above International Law
The Kingdom of Hawaii
Hawaii is currently referred to as the 50th state of the United States of America. However, prior to US annexation, Hawaii was its own sovereign state run by an absolute monarchy. The Kingdom of Hawaii was a part of the Polynesian Triangle and Ancient Hawaiians lived under a strict social code which governed interactions between classes. If one were to break this social code, they would be punished with death. Captain James Cook was the first European explorer to discover the islands. However, Cook was killed by the Hawaiian people after he tried to abduct Hawaii’s ruling chief, King Kalaniʻōpuʻu. After the islands discovery, Hawaii became a major trading hub for America and Asia. In 1791, King Kamehameha took control of every major Hawaiian island, uniting the Kingdom of Hawaii.
TheHawaiian L gue
After King Kalaniʻōpuʻu ordered every Ancient temple in Hawaii be destroyed, American missionaries took this as an opportunity to spread their religion to Hawaiians. In 1887 white foreigners established the “Hawaiian” League. Members of the Hawaiian League advocated for the US annexation of Hawaii so they could get preferential treatment for their business interests. Members of the Hawaiian League eventually forced Hawaii’s then King, Kalakaua, to sign a treaty, the Bayonet Constitution, which limited the role of Hawaii’s monarchs, gave voting rights exclusively to white settlers and gave the United States rights for a military base on Pearl Harbor.
Qu n LiliUokalani
In 1878 King Kalakaua died and his sister Liliuokalani assumed the throne. Queen LiliUokalani made it her mission to return power to the Hawaiian people. In an attempt to make change, Liliuokalani authored a new constitution. However in 1893, before she could get her constitution passed, members of Hawaii’s Missionary Party threw a coup under the false terms that Queen Liliuokalani’s new constitution “endangered American property and lives”. Over 160 US marines marched to Liliuokalani’s palace and physically removed her from office. Liliuokalani was then jailed and placed under constant supervision.
Public Outrage
After Queen Liliuokalani was forcefully removed from office, thousands of Hawaiians took to the streets and protested. Many protesters wore hats with bands reading “Aloha Aina” or “love of the nation”. The year following Liliuokalani's removal from office, lawmakers exclaimed that Hawaiians could not vote or be government employees unless they signed an oath of allegiance. Many refused. Following this, Hawaiians attempted a counterrevolution which led to hundreds of people being jailed and six people being sentenced to death. In order to free the prisoners, the republic forced Liliuokalani to sign a document, abdicating her throne. With over 20,000 signatures, Queen Liliuokalani and a group of Hawaiian nationalists traveled to Washington DC and successfully convinced Congress to halt Hawaii’s annexation.
Hawaii Becomes a State
Although Congress initially agreed to halt the annexation of Hawaii, following the start of the Spanish American War, President William Mckinley declared Hawaii a US territory on July 7, 1898. This is because he saw Hawaii as a strategic military base. Hawaii already existed as a sovereign state, therefore President Mckinley seizing control broke international law. Hawaii eventually became the 50th US state in 1959, following a referendum where 93% of Hawaiians voted in favor of statehood.
W ks Cited
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