The Road To Annexation
Have the natives been consulted?
Thesis
President Cleveland
President Grover Cleveland sent Secretary James Blount to Hawaii to find out what was happening in 1893. Blount asked the native Hawaiians about what had happened. Blount had reported back in a 1,400 page report stating that the over throw of Hawaii was illegal and immoral. When Cleveland got this report he ordered the Americans who were living in Hawaii to give back the kingdom to queen Liliuokalani and take down the us flag from the palace because it was an act of war towards the Hawaiians. But the Americans in Hawaii refused and said that the only way that they’ll do what Cleveland wants is if they come to Hawaii and shoot them. President Cleveland didn’t want to kill any American citizens so he did not do anything and that allowed them to stay in power over the Hawaiians.
Minister John L Stevens
Minister John L. Stevens was assigned to Hawaii. He represented the United States on all matters including Political representation of the U.S. He saw the Hawaiians as childlike, semi-barbaric, and unfit to rule their own selves. He orders the United States marines to march down in downtown Honolulu to the Iiolani palace. The queen does not surrender to the provisional government, run by Stanford b dole, but to the superior military might of America. Minister John L Stevens is associated with the Committee of Safety and Stanford B Dole. Once he over threw the monarchy he declared a provisional government and went to the United States to declare that Hawaii should be annexed to the United States. Blount, the reporter of the actions that had taken place had reported that Hawaii was illegally and immorally overthrew and that he shall return Hawaii back to the government but he did not and was not planning on doing so unless the united states came and forced/ shot him.
President McKinley
President William McKinley was in favor of the annexation of Hawaii and signed the treaty because Hawaii was a strategic location for the Spanish American war that was happening at the time of these events. So the queen and her delegates submitted a petition stating that the people of Hawaii did not want Hawaii to be annexed to Hawaii called the ku’e petition and the treaty was stopped. Joint resolution or Newlands resolution, a simple majority vote in both houses, was signed into law in 1897. And both houses voted for Hawaii to be annexed. Hawaii now being a territory of the United States, President William McKinley assigned Stanford B. Dole, who was a part of the committee of safety, the people who overthrew the monarchy as the territorial governor of Hawaii and the Hawaiian organic act organized its government.
Historical Significance
If it wasnt for these 3 people the annexation of Hawaii wouldn’t have been possible. In the long run this event made it possible for Hawaii to become a state of Hawaii and also brought in a lot of other cultures into Hawaii. This topic is important in history because it tells us about the events that had happened to the kingdom of Hawaii and who were responsible.
Is Hawaii Leagally and Lawfuly A State Of The Union
In my opinion Hawaii is not legally and lawfully a state of the union. It is not because all the actions that had taken place for Hawaii to become a territory were illegal. It couldn’t even become a territory because the natives didn’t want it and the joint resolution they created was only supposed to effect what happens inside their own country not another country.
supplement information
Below are 3 pictures during the annexation of Hawaii. During this day The United states has lowered the Hawaiian flag, put up the American flag and had the whole annexation ceremony in front if the iolani palace, the former home of the Hawaiian monarchy. This was the day that Hawaiians knew that there was no hope for the monarchy to return. They knew it was over.
Cite
Works Cited
"HAWAI'I (Western Colonialism)." Whatwhenhow RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015. <http://what-when-how.com/western-colonialism/hawaii-western-colonialism/>.
"Honolulu StarBulletin News." Honolulu Star-Bulletin News. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015. <http://archives.starbulletin.com/1999/07/12/millennium/index.html>.
"U.S. Annexes Hawai'i." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015. <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/timeline/388.html>.