The Overthrow of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii Ends January 17, 1893
Thesis
President Grover Cleveland
President William McKinley
President McKinley became the president when Grover Cleveland left the office in 1897. During that time Americans rooted for the annexation. McKinley also wanted the annexation. More people supported McKinley stance for the annexation during the Spanish American War because the war was fought in the pacific. Also pro annexation forces said that Hawaii would be a valuable naval installation if Hawaii was under United States control. McKinley was a president that believed in new imperialism meaning that larger and more powerful countries should conquer and take over smaller countries which was bad for Hawaii because Hawaii can’t compete with American forces. President McKinley proposed a annexation treaty. A annexation treaty is a treaty to take over or add another country to your country. He proposed the treaty but did not get enough votes in congress for it to go through. But in August 1898 Hawaii was annexed to the United States and two years later President McKinley signed the organic act that made Hawaii an official territory of the United States.
Minister John L. Stevens
John L. Stevens was a United States minister. He was sent to Hawaii to give advice and America’s demands. John L Stevens is a racist white man. He believed that the white race is superior over all. That was bad for Hawaii because Hawaiians aren’t white and they have darker skin. He also believed that Hawaiians are child like; unfit to rule or govern their own island and that the Hawaiians are barbaric. John L. Stevens’s view of the Hawaiians is the same as the committee of safety. The committee of safety is a group of white men that want to overthrow the Hawaiian Government and annex Hawaii to the United States. John L Stevens also supported coup de tat which means “a sudden change in government that’s illegal by nature“. The committee of safety members called John L. Stevens to order the United States military to dispose of the queen and the provisional Government made and Sanford Dole became the president
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
On the day January 17, 1893 Hawaii was overthrown. This illegal act could not be possible without these three men; President Grover Cleveland, President William McKinley and United States Minister John L. Stevens. My topic is important in history because the overthrow of the Hawaiian Government was illegal and Hawaii will never return to its owners, the Hawaiians. The long term significance of the overthrow is that even though Hawaii was overthrown over 100 years ago many of the Hawaiian people don’t feel American because Hawaii was just taken from them.
IS HAWAII LEGALLY AND LAWFULLY A STATE OF THE UNION
My opinion now about the legality and lawfulness of Hawaii as a state, is that Hawaii should not be a state. Hawaii should not be a state because for Hawaii to be a state President McKinley needed the annexation treaty but it never got enough votes from congress so still to this day Hawaii is illegally a state
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
CITE
Grover Cleveland Pictures & Galleries." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2015. <http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/grover-cleveland/pictures>.
http://libweb.hawaii.edu/digicoll/annexation/images/pic3.html
"Waikiki, Old and New, Hawaii Print at AllPosters.com." Allposters.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2015. <http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Waikiki-Old-and-New-Hawaii-Posters_i6076440_.htm>.