Aloha Oi
The Annexation of Hawaii
Minister John L. Stevens
President Grover Cleveland
President Grover Cleveland played a role in the Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. He was concerned that the Harrison’s administration, American sugar planters and American businessmen on the islands had conspired during the Hawaiian revolution of 1893 to overthrow the Hawaiian Kingdom. Cleveland was feeling bad for Hawaii because he experienced the same situation as Hawaii. So Cleveland tried to pressure the revolutionary government into handing the power back to Queen Liliuokalani. Cleveland was an outspoken anti-imperialist and thought Americans had acted shamefully in Hawaii. He withdrew the annexation treaty from the Senate and ordered an investigation into potential things that the Americans on the islands were doing wrong. Cleveland aimed to restore Liliuokalani to her throne, but American public sentiment strongly favored annexation. The American businessmen did not listen and Queen Liliuokalani. President Cleveland then gave the problem to congress, where it remained until he stated a congressional resolution that made Hawaii a state in 1900s. Cleveland never did anything, so United States went back to annexed Hawaii.