Back in 1893, Hawaii's monarchy was overthrown when a group of businessmen and sugar planters forced Queen Liliuokalani to abdicate. Nearly two years later, the coup led to the dissolving of the Kingdom of Hawaii and its annexation as a United States territory.
First contact with Hawaii and the new world was made in 1778 by Captain James Cook. At that time, several chiefs ruled over divided parts of the archipelago. However, by 1810, King Kamehameha had united all eight of Hawaii's main islands with the use of firearms brought in by white traders. Early arriving whites brought over the first diseases such as smallpox and measles. These epidemics reduced the native population by about half in just a few decades. Furthermore, the native Hawaiians struggled with continuous attempts by the Americans, British, and French to take over. The British ended up being the first to take over in 1843 before restoring the kingdom's sovereignty.
Under Kalakaua's reign, Hawaii gave away the rights to Pearl Harbor and signed a trade agreement with the United States that greatly benefited the island sugar planters. With whites pushing for more influence, the Bayonet Constitution was passed, which practically usurped all of the king's powers. It also enfranchised whites. Kalakaua, meanwhile, drove Hawaii into deep debt, earning himself the nicknames, "Merrie Monarch."
In 1891, Liliuokalani, her predecessor's sister, inherited the throne. Immediately, she began working on removing the Bayonet Constitution that would restore the monarch's power and give only Hawaiian subjects the right to vote. After failing to do so, she planned to enact her new constitution by royal decree. However, she immediately revoked her decision based on her cabinet's advice. After her cabinet failed to depose her, the all-white conspirators along with some US Marines got involved, surrounded the government building and declared proclaimed themselves in charge of the pending annexation of Hawaii.
http://www.history.com/news/hawaiis-monarchy-overthrown-with-u-s-support-120-years-ago
Very nice summary on how the US acquired Hawaii. I sometimes wonder what Hawaii would be like today if the monarchy was never overthrown and Queen Liliuokalani continued her rule. However, if the US did not acquire Hawaii, chances are another country would have stepped in. This takeover happened due to the weakened state of the inhabitants, but would have probably still happened without being in a weakened state.
ReplyDeleteCamille, I agree with your comment about it being inevitable that such a small chain of islands would be consumed by a surrounding powerhouse due to its strategical advantages, however I disagree Hawaii was a weaker state, infact I believe that that was the logic that so many nations had used to capitalize on smaller less developed nations, feeling like they were the saviors, which can be described as white mans burden. So in reality it was not weakened but living a similar fate as that of the native americans when they were cast aside. They were similarly forced to assimilate and also lost their land and liberties. Also later on when native americans began to regain rights in the New Deal under Roosevelt.
ReplyDeleteSources:
(Document 141 in VOF)
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/amgovernment/chapter/civil-rights-for-indigenous-groups-native-americans-alaskans-and-hawaiians/