Protector of Peace?
The U.S.'s ironic actions that lead to the overthrow of HI
Thesis
Minister John L. Stevens
Minister John L. Stevens was born in Maine. He was a newspaper publisher, author, journalist, diplomat, and minister. He was assigned to be the Minister of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893. Once Princess Liliuokalani was crowned queen, he orders a battle ship to be permanently stationed at Pearl Harbor just in case an altercation happens in Hawaii. The battle ship also brought along marines that went to down town Honolulu. Stevens ordered this without permission from congress or the president Stevens then conferred with two other men in the committee of safety and supported the coup d’état. Minister Stevens then threatened the queen; eventually the queen subsided to the higher power of the United States and gave up the throne. Minister Stevens then recognized Dole as the president of Hawaii’s new government. Minister Stevens also proclaimed Hawaii as a United States Protectorate, which mean Hawaii is under The U.S.’s protection.
President Stephen Grover Cleaveland
President Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and the 24th president of the United States. President Cleveland opposed high tariffs and imperialism. After the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom, President Cleveland sent Secretary James Blount to investigate the overthrow. After interviewing witnesses and accounts, James Blount then wrote a 1400 page report about his findings and presented it to President Cleveland. Blount concluded that the overthrow was illegal and immoral. President Cleveland then told Dole to take down U.S. flags around Honolulu and demanded that Dole return the kingdom of Hawaii to its rightful owner Queen Liliuokalani. Dole then responded by saying if President Cleveland wants him to give back the Kingdom, then President Cleveland has to send troops to Hawaii and kill Dole and his associates. President Cleveland then does nothing because he didn’t want American soldier kill American citizens, so President Cleveland allowed Dole to rule Hawaii. By President not doing anything to stop Dole this helped with the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
President William McKinley
President William McKinley was the 25th President of the United States. President McKinley was a firm believer of New Imperialism; the thought that big countries need to take over little countries. This believe helps President McKinley want to annex Hawaii. Another thing that helped President McKinley want to annex Hawaii is that the Spanish- American war is currently happening during his office. Therefore, President McKinley saw Hawaii’s military importance as a stopover for ship to refuel and resupply while they were going to Philippines. These events prompted President McKinley to submit a treaty of annexation to Congress however Queen Liliuokalani and her delegates submitted the Kue petition, which helped Congress vote down the treaty. President McKinley then signed into law the Organic Act of 1900 that officially made Hawaii a territory of the United States. He also signed into law a Joint resolution called “new lands resolution”. Officially acknowledging Hawaii’s new government and making Hawaii a territory help in the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Historical Significance
The actions that Minister John L. Stevens, President Stephen Grover Cleveland, and President William McKinley took helped in the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom is an important topic in history because this gives another example of a smaller country taking over another country. Another reason why this topic is important is because it shows how the United States helped in the illegal acquiring of the Hawaiian Island. The final reason why this is an important topic is to show the irony of how the U.S. perceives itself and their actions. The intended consequence of the overthrow is Hawaii becoming a state. Another intended consequence is the abolishment of the Hawaiian monarchy. A unintended consequence for President Cleveland was the annexation of Hawaii because President Cleveland wanted Dole to give back Hawaii however the actions that he didn’t take helped Hawaii become annexed.
Is Hawai'i legally and lawfully a state of the union?
No Hawaii was not legally and lawfully a state of the union because the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy was not legal. The secretary that President Cleveland sent himself stated that the overthrow of Hawaii was “illegal and immoral”. Without the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, Hawaii would have never been a state. Another reason why Hawaii was not legally and lawfully a state of the union is because Congress made Hawaii a territory, Congress had no power to do that.
Jamaica Osorio Slam Poetry
Cite
"Slam Poet Jamaica Osorio." Vimeo. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
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Russ, William Adam (1992). The Hawaiian Revolution (1893-94). Associated University Presses. p. 350. ISBN 0-945636-43-1.
Bard, Mitchell. "Ideology and Depression Politics I: Grover Cleveland (1893–1897)" Presidential Studies Quarterly 1985 15(1): 77–88. ISSN 0360-4918
Armstrong, William H. (2000). Major McKinley: William McKinley and the Civil War. Kent, Ohio: The Kent State University Press. ISBN 978-0-87338-657-9.