Annexation of Hawaii and the Last Monarch
Queen Liliuokalani, the last monarch of the Hawaiian Islands, had to make many difficult decisions during her reign to try to preserve the Hawaiian way of life for the native people. An elite class of American businessmen and landowners had a different idea and were involved in getting a new constitution instituted which removed much of the monarch’s power. Queen Liliuokalani had been born to high ranking chiefs. When she was born she was adopted by Abner Paki and Laura Konai, the granddaughter of King Kamehameha I. She had attended royal school and was fluent in the English language. She then went on to marry John Owen Dominis, who was an American Sea Captains son. Dominis later became the governor …show more content…
Sugar exports to the United States expanded greatly during the next four years, and the United States Investors and American Sugar Planters on the Islands broadened their domination over Hawaiian Affairs." (Americans Overthrow Hawaiian Monarchy) After the American Civil War sugar profits sky rocketed and planters were making a large profit. In 1890 the McKinley tariff came into effect which raised the taxes on imports of sugar, this tariff greatly hurt the Hawaiian Islands and is what ultimately pressed the white American sugar planters to push for the Annexation of Hawaii. If Hawaii were to be annexed the tax on the sugar would be lifted and the economic situation in Hawaii would go up. The Queen did not agree with the Constitution that was forced upon her brother and sought to change it. She wanted to make a new Constitution that gave power back to the Monarchy and help the Hawaiian Natives. The Hawaiian people were largely on her side with the majority of them opposing the Annexation. “To his excellency William McKinley, President, and The Senate of the United States...we the undersigned, Native Hawaiian Citizens, and residents of the District of Honolulu, Island of Oahu...earnestly protest against the annexation of the said Hawaiian Islands to the said United Sates of America in any form or shape." (1897 Petition Against the Annexation of …show more content…
“With the explosion of the U.S.S. Maine in February of 1898 signaling the start of the Spanish American war, establishing a mid-pacific fueling station and naval base became a strategic imperative for the United States. The Hawaiian Islands were the clear choice, and this time congress moved to annex the Hawaiian Islands.” (Hawaii Annexation) The Hawaiian Islands were annexed by joint resolution on July 12, 1898. Queen Liliuokalani greatly protested the annexation. “I, Liliuokalani of Hawaii, named heir apparent on the 10th day of April, 1877, and proclaimed queen of the Hawaiian Islands…do hereby protest against the assertion of ownership by the United States of America of the so called Hawaiian Crown Lands amounting to about one million acres and which are my property, and I especially protest against such assertion of ownership as a taking of property without the process of law and without just or other compensation.” (Hawaii Statehood) The Hawaiian Islands were formally declared the 50th State of the Unites States of America on August 21, 1959. In 1993, on the one hundred year anniversary of the illegal annexation, President Clinton signed a bill into law which formally apologized to Hawaii for the wrongful invasion by the United
Queen Liliuokalani, the last monarch of the Hawaiian Islands, had to make many difficult decisions during her reign to try to preserve the Hawaiian way of life for the native people. An elite class of American businessmen and landowners had a different idea and were involved in getting a new constitution instituted which removed much of the monarch’s power. Queen Liliuokalani had been born to high ranking chiefs. When she was born she was adopted by Abner Paki and Laura Konai, the granddaughter of King Kamehameha I. She had attended royal school and was fluent in the English language. She then went on to marry John Owen Dominis, who was an American Sea Captains son. Dominis later became the governor …show more content…
Sugar exports to the United States expanded greatly during the next four years, and the United States Investors and American Sugar Planters on the Islands broadened their domination over Hawaiian Affairs." (Americans Overthrow Hawaiian Monarchy) After the American Civil War sugar profits sky rocketed and planters were making a large profit. In 1890 the McKinley tariff came into effect which raised the taxes on imports of sugar, this tariff greatly hurt the Hawaiian Islands and is what ultimately pressed the white American sugar planters to push for the Annexation of Hawaii. If Hawaii were to be annexed the tax on the sugar would be lifted and the economic situation in Hawaii would go up. The Queen did not agree with the Constitution that was forced upon her brother and sought to change it. She wanted to make a new Constitution that gave power back to the Monarchy and help the Hawaiian Natives. The Hawaiian people were largely on her side with the majority of them opposing the Annexation. “To his excellency William McKinley, President, and The Senate of the United States...we the undersigned, Native Hawaiian Citizens, and residents of the District of Honolulu, Island of Oahu...earnestly protest against the annexation of the said Hawaiian Islands to the said United Sates of America in any form or shape." (1897 Petition Against the Annexation of …show more content…
“With the explosion of the U.S.S. Maine in February of 1898 signaling the start of the Spanish American war, establishing a mid-pacific fueling station and naval base became a strategic imperative for the United States. The Hawaiian Islands were the clear choice, and this time congress moved to annex the Hawaiian Islands.” (Hawaii Annexation) The Hawaiian Islands were annexed by joint resolution on July 12, 1898. Queen Liliuokalani greatly protested the annexation. “I, Liliuokalani of Hawaii, named heir apparent on the 10th day of April, 1877, and proclaimed queen of the Hawaiian Islands…do hereby protest against the assertion of ownership by the United States of America of the so called Hawaiian Crown Lands amounting to about one million acres and which are my property, and I especially protest against such assertion of ownership as a taking of property without the process of law and without just or other compensation.” (Hawaii Statehood) The Hawaiian Islands were formally declared the 50th State of the Unites States of America on August 21, 1959. In 1993, on the one hundred year anniversary of the illegal annexation, President Clinton signed a bill into law which formally apologized to Hawaii for the wrongful invasion by the United