How to Overthrow a Kingdom
Be prominent member of a group, do nothing, and sign a bill.
Thesis
Minister John L. Stevens
John L. Stevens was the United States Minister for the Hawaiian Kingdom. He was for annexing Hawaii to become a part of the United States. Stevens was a member of the Committee of Safety. The Committee of Safety summoned two companies of U.S Sailors and U.S. Marines from the USS Boston to come and take positions at the Arion Hall, U.S. Legation, and Consulate on January 16, 1893. Stevens also recognized the provisional government. On February 1, 1893 Stevens raised the United States flag over the Hawaiian Islands. When James Henderson Blount wrote a report for the Grover Cleveland who at the time was president John Stevens was blamed for the Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. John L. Stevens played a very important role in the overthrow because he was a part of the committee of safety, which was probably the biggest player within the whole process.
President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland was one of the presidents during the process of the Overthrow of Hawaii. Cleveland was against annexation. He believed that what the Committee of Safety had done was an “Act of War”. Cleveland sent a man named James Henderson Blount to Hawaii to write a report. During the Civil War Blount fought with the Confederate Army. This being said the Americans figured he would agree with them so they told him the whole truth. Blount wrote more than a thousand pages for that report. In the end he said that the overthrow was immoral and illegal. Cleveland denounced the overthrow as lawless because it was achieved under “false pretexts.” He wanted the Americans in Hawaii to give back the throne to Liliuokalani. The Americans there basically said that if he wanted them to leave Hawaii he would have to unload the military again and have them kill us. Cleveland did not want to kill American Citizens. So in the end Cleveland did not do anything and allowed for the annexation later.
President William McKinley
William McKinley was another president during the process of the Overthrow of Hawaii. McKinley was for annexing Hawaii. Since he was interested in the annexation he “lobbied Congress to adopt his opinion”. He signed the Hawaii Annexation bill that would annex Hawaii in to the United States. The reasoning would be because this was happening during the time of the Spanish American war. The war was happening in Cuba and the Philippines. Hawaii would provide Pearl Harbor, which would be a very useful place since it is in the middle of the pacific. If Hawaii was a part of the United States, then the Americans could use the Harbor. They could keep military personnel there just in case they needed to be shipped out. Hawaii would become a territory of the United States in the 1900's.
Historical Significance
Is Hawaii Legally and Lawfully a state of the union?
Supplemental Information
Attempted Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, 1893
Works Cited
"A Condensed Timeline of History." Web. 12 Mar. 2015.<http://www.hawaiianencyclopedia.com/a-condensed-timeline-of-histor.asp\>
"Grover Cleveland." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 5 Mar. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Cleveland>
"James Henderson Blount." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 12 Mar. 2015 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Henderson_Blount#Hawai.27i>
"John L. Stevens." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 5 Mar. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_L._Stevens>
Kelly, Martin. "U.S. President William McKinley - Fast Facts." About Education. Web. 5 Mar. 2015. <http://americanhistory.about.com/od/williammckinley/a/ff_w_mckinley.htm>
"Miller Center." American President: American President. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.<http://millercenter.org/president/events/07_07>
"The 1897 Petition Against the Annexation of Hawaii." National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 12 Mar. 2015. <http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/hawaii-petition/>