Hawaii: To Be or Not to be Annexed
Right or Wrong?
Thesis
Key Figures Involved in the Overthrow of Hawaii
Presidend Grover Cleveland
President Grover Cleveland, became president after President Benjamin Harrison had finished his term. Preside Cleveland was against the annexation and he thought of the annexation from the U.S. as an "act of war." In order to investigate the overthrow, he asked John Blount to investigate the legality of the Hawaiian Kingdom. After investigating, John Blount has found that the overthrow was illegal and immoral. In his report, he found that Minister John L. Stevens had order for the marines to be landed in Hawaii to be a part of the annexation illegally, and had unauthorized annexation-supporter events. So to take action towards the overthrow, President Benjamin Harrison ordered Sanford Dole to take down the American flag and to return the kingdom back to the Queen. Although, Sanford Dole didn't listen to the orders of the President, President Grover Cleveland had tried to take actions to stop the annexation of Hawaii.
President Benjamin Harrison
President Benjamin Harrison, the president during the overthrow, which occurred during the civil war. President Benjamin Harrison had supported the annexation and the committee of safety. After a revolution that occurred in 1893, the Americans lobbied the President to annex the Hawaiian islands. He was then the first to submit a treaty to annex the Hawaiian islands to the U.S. Senate in order for it to be ratified. This treaty was the Reciprocity Treaty, which was made in 1876. This treaty stated that Hawaii would not be charged tax. After, there was another Reciprocity Treaty made in 1887. In this treaty, it states that Hawaii would have the same conditions, but would have to give up Pearl Harbor to the United States. However, the treaty was blocked when the Hawaiian League, created a petition to oppose against it. Before the Senate could ratify the treaty, President Cleveland took his place.
President John L. Stevens
Minister John L. Stevens, was assigned to Hawaii as a representative of the United States. John L. Stevens, was a part of the committee of safety. The committee of safety was a group that favored the Coup De’tat or overthrow of the Hawaiian islands. He was racist among the Hawaiians, and thought that they were uncivilized, childish, and not fit to rule or vote in the government. In order to take actions towards the annexation, he ordered for marines to be landed in Hawaii. These marines were used to help against the overthrow of the Queen and to pressure her into giving up her place. He had recognized the of the new government and claimed it as a U.S. protectorate, which meant that Hawaii was under the power of the United States. These actions caused Queen Liliokalani to surrender to the U.S., until they gave back the land to Hawaii.
Historical Significance
Is Hawaii Legally and Lawfully a State of the Union?
However, in my opinion, Hawaii is not legally and lawfully a state of the Union. To become a state, the state itself has to plead with Congress or create a document stating that it would like to become a union. But, the Americans back then didn't allow for Hawaii to do so themselves. Instead, they took Hawaii for themselves, and asked their own congress if they could make Hawaii a part of the Union. The Americans didn't legally ask the monarchy's to have permission to allow Hawaii to become a state. Basically what the Americans did was that they came to Hawaii, and because of its lavishing resources, the Americans chose to take Hawaii as it's own without any permission from anyone but themselves.
Day of the Overthrow
Citations
"Standards Overview." + Hawaii Alive. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.hawaiialive.org/standards.php?sub=9th%2BGrade&Subtopic=50>.
"Digital History." Digital History. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2015. <http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=1283>.
"Hawaiian Annexation." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.ushistory.org/us/44b.asp>.
Picture Sources:
http://www.pacificworlds.com/nuuanu/memories/images/flagdown.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Johnlstevens.jpg
http://image1.findagrave.com/photos250/photos/2010/171/451_127716239087.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Grover_Cleveland_-_NARA_-_518139.jpg