Hawai’i Annexation

The United States formally annexed Hawaii on July 8, 1898, making it a U.S. territory. This culminated a lengthy and convoluted process that had its origins in the late 19th century and was propelled by competing economic, political, and geopolitical goals. From 1810, Hawaii has been ruled by a series of kings. In 1893, however, a group of American merchants and planters staged a coup d’etat, deposing Queen Liliuokalani and installing a temporary government. In an effort to guarantee the economic and political benefits that would come with becoming a U.S. territory, the new administration quickly pursued annexation by the United States. President Grover Cleveland was once a roadblock in the annexation process since he was against annexing Hawaii without the approval of the Hawaiian people. To drive the annexation agenda through Congress, however, it took the presidency of William McKinley, who took office in 1897 and was more sympathetic to the annexation movement. On July 7, 1898, when a joint resolution on annexing Hawaii was passed by Congress and signed by McKinley, Hawaii officially became part of the United States. The Republic of Hawaii officially ceded sovereignty to the United States the day after the American flag was flown atop Iolani Palace in Honolulu.

Controversy surrounded the annexation of Hawaii at the time, and it hasn’t gone away. Proponents of annexation stated that the United States needed to do so in order to safeguard its economic interests in the Pacific and provide a strategic base for American military activities. Yet, critics said that the annexation violated Hawaiian sovereignty and was an act of imperialism. Arguments about whether or not to annex Hawaii were part of a greater contest for hegemony among the world’s main powers. The United States was quickly increasing its economic and military might, and many citizens at the time felt it was their country’s destiny to become the preeminent force in the world. There was widespread agreement that the annexation of Hawaii was a major turning point. Hawaii was a key strategic and economic asset for the United States very immediately after the annexation, notwithstanding the turmoil that surrounded it. Due to its strategic position in the center of the Pacific, Hawaii played an important role in connecting North America and Asia. Moreover, the island’s rich soil and mild temperature made it a great place to grow crops like sugar cane and pineapple. Hawaii has played a significant part in American history, first as a strategic military station during World War II and then as a popular tourist destination in the decades after the war. Hawaii is still a territory of the United States and a place with its own culture and geography, one that reflects the intricate history of both the Americas and the Pacific.