Hawaiian Kingdom is Make'
Deuces to the Hawaiian Kingdom
Thesis
William Mckinley
President William McKinley was the 25th president of the United States. Only July 7th, 1898 President McKinley signed a bill to annex the Hawaiian Islands. When McKinley resumed his presidency in 1897, he had advocated the Hawaii annexation. Later throughout the year, McKinley tried to push a new annexation treaty through congress but failed. McKinley pressured senators to approve of annexation to fulfill the American destiny. Later on in the year, an annexation resolution supported by McKinley has made it all the way up to the house of representatives on May 4, 1898. The senate then passed the annexation on July 6. The day after, McKinley signed it. United states took possession of the Hawaiian Islands officially on August 12, 1898. The first territorial governor for Hawaii was established in 1900. The annexation, or overthrow, of the Hawaiian Kingdom is a really great illustration on how the United States matured on the world. McKinley's aggressive policy on Hawaii matched up with America's seizure of the Phlippines.
Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland took his second term as US president in 1893. He was an anti imperialist. This means that he opposed the expansion of power through diplomacy or military. The native Hawaiians protest brought the attention of President Grover Cleveland. He ordered an investigation into its legality. He sent James Blount, a former confederate soldier, to Hawaii to investigate its legality. After a few months, he wrote a 1400 word report on the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. He stated that this was “an act of war”. President Grover Cleveland then ordered the newly established provisional government to step down, lower the American flags on the Iolani Palace, and put Queen Liliuokalani back on her throne. When Sanford B, Dole heard of this, he refused to step down from office. President Grover Cleveland was told that he must send American troops to Hawaii and shoot them down. After hearing this, President Grover Cleveland did nothing leaving the provisional government to continue their pursuit in annexing Hawaii to the united States.
John L. Stevens
John L. Stevens was the US State Departments Minister to Hawaii. He was called by the Committee of Safety to summon US Marines to the Islands of Hawaii. The Marines then protected the American Residents while preventing the Hawaiian Kingdom from defending himself. Queen Liliuokalani, the monarch at the time, was overthrown on January 17, 1893. A provisional government was then set up in the Hawaiian Kingdoms place. The new government was lead by Sanford B. Dole. Stevens recognized the authority of this new government immediately. Fearing bloodshed and knowing the Coup’s participants were acting without consent of the U.S. Congress or President. He sent representatives to Washington D.C to negotiate a treaty of annexation of the Hawaiian Islands. After a group discussion, a majority voted that Hawaii should be annexed to the United States. Hawaii became a US territory on July 14, 1900. It would become a state in 1959.
Conclusion
Is Hawaii a legally a state?
Hawaii isn’t a state of the United States legally. In order for a place to become a state they must take a vote on it. After that, there must be a treaty of annexation signed by both places. When they annexed Hawaii to the United States, they never did sign a treaty, they just took a vote and decided Hawaii was a part of the United States.
Supplemental Information
Sources
"Annexation of the Hawaiian Islands. 1909-14. American Historical Documents, 1000-1904. The Harvard Classics." Annexation of the Hawaiian Islands. 1909-14. American Historical Documents, 1000-1904. The Harvard Classics. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2015. <http://www.bartleby.com/43/44.html>
"Annexation of the Hawaiian Islands. 1909-14. American Historical Documents, 1000-1904. The Harvard Classics." Annexation of the Hawaiian Islands. 1909-14. American Historical Documents, 1000-1904. The Harvard Classics. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2015. <http://www.bartleby.com/43/44.html>.