When people think of Hawaii, some of the things that comes to mind are the hula dancers, coconuts, surfing, pineapples, and the beautiful weather. This beautiful place holds a lot of history and heritage. It was discovered by Captain James Cook who was the first European to discover Hawaii. This discovery made by James Cook sparked interest in the British government as well as the United States. What led to the annexation of Hawaii had a huge impact on those who inhabited it, and the United States. The annexation of Hawaii is significant because it increased the United States military power, allowed economic gains in Hawaii, and ultimately changed the culture and history of Hawaii.
Before James Cook had made the discovery
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The people that petitioned against the annexation of Hawaii varied in age and was young as fourteen (The 1897 Petition Against the Annexation of Hawaii). The people of Hawaii saw it as a corrupt decision because it led to the downfall of the monarchy which was replaced by the white businessmen. To add on to that it also took away majority of the Hawaiian voters. Despite this, there was a benefit from this and with the passage of the Hawaiian Organic Act, Hawaiian workers were “.. now able to join labor unions and strike against their employers, and 20 strikes happened in Hawaii that year. As a result of the workers' increased bargaining power, the workers eventually received more fringe benefits, including housing, medical services, and recreation facilities” (Chronicling America : Historic Newspapers from Hawaii and the U.S. : Sugar Industry). So based on this, it showcases how although Hawaiians were afraid to lose their heritage and their rights, the end results allowed them to be more “free” and economically more …show more content…
Furthermore “The islands became a major supply and training base for U.S. troops in the Pacific” ( Hintz 25). To build off of that, “Military spending was as important to the state as income derived from its sugar and pineapple plantations” (Hintz 31). This is important because it shows how vital Hawaii is to the United States. It was a place for economic gains for both Hawaii and their military expenses. It became the place where many troops and their family returned to after war to distress and relax. Not only that but the Hawaiian islands is used as a military base “ to fight the Spanish in Guam and the Philippines” (The U.S. Occupation ). It was the United States main access from the West Coast of the country to the other side of the
According to the PBS show “Hawaii's Last Queen” the Republic Hawaii's president Sanford Dole annexed the kingdom of Hawaii to the U.S on August 12, 1898. An organization supporting annexation called the Hawaiian League led by Lorrin Thurston which took many other forms forced King Kalakaua to sign the bayonet constitution. This constitution striped the power of the monarchy and when his death came his sister Lili'uokalani ascended to the throne and her hopes were to restore power to the Hawaiians which the constitution took away. The missionary boys did not like the queens ideals so they planned to overthrow the monarchy for good which they did later on in history. The annexation was an unjust act done by a group of bisness men wanting power and Hawaii as a territory of the U.S. Although some might argue that annexation was good because it allowed trade to the U.S tariff free others oppose that it was biased because it stripped Hawaiian of their rights to vote and destroyed the Hawaiian monarchy.
America looked beyond its borders for new markets because after the closing of the frontier, a fear of possible resource depletion swept through the nation. America’s desire to colonize foreign nations was driven by economic intentions, especially in Hawaii and Samoa, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. The United States’ involvement in trade with China made the importance of Hawaii and the Samoan islands evident. These islands acted as a stop for ships in the midst of their journey to Asia. American influence on the islands existed due to America’s growing population settling there.
Hawaii’s political economy went through some major changes. The development of plantations and tourism paved the path for how Hawaii’s economy is today. I will discuss how tourism, ethnicity, gender and education both constrain and enable opportunities in contemporary Hawaii.
How did the Americanization of Hawaii effect he island & how will it effect Puerto Rico
In 1893, Queen Lili’uokalani of Hawaii gave up her throne to the United States of America. About five years after in 1898, Hawaii was officially annexed and became a part of the U.S.A. During this time, the Hawaiian people were bitter and mournful as they watched the foreigners slowly take over their kingdom. Many foreigners came to Hawaii to achieve one goal, to increase the power of foreigners and decrease the power of Native Hawaiians. The kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown with the use of force and was unethically taken. Although Hawaii received benefits that were mainly in their economy, it still does not make up for the wrongful taking of the Hawaiian kingdom.
While walking down the beach, the white, warm sand mushes between your toes. The sun’s radiant rays beam off your glowing skin. The sound of waves crashing blocks out the external world. There is no other place like the gorgeous tropical islands of Hawaii. The wide range of flowers, cuisine, and wildlife makes it one of the most picturesque places on Earth. It also leads the United States with the highest racial minority rate making it the most diverse state. However, there are numerous hidden dangers of Hawaii, and not all ethnic groups get along causing sharp tensions across the island.
As the United States declared war on the German Empire, the citizens of Honolulu and Hawaii at large were already experiencing the strains of war. The sinking of the A.-H. Missourian by German U-boats, and the subsequent sinking of the Aztec, brought many Hawaiians to support the war effort with great enthusiasm. By April 3rd, the “Islanders” as they called themselves in the Hawaiian Gazette were backing President Wilson’s intentions of conducting a war in Europe. For many Hawaiians, they had felt as if the German presence in the Pacific region had been an intrusive force. As the territory of Hawaii had long been maintained by strategic military forces and commercial industries since their annexation into the United States, the territory viewed itself in a rather unique way.
John L. Stevens came to the island of Oahu in September 1889, acting as the U.S. Minister to Hawaii. While his mission in Hawaii was not clearly stated, his political actions on the islands clearly showed that Stevens thought that the annexation of Hawaii was proper and inevitable.
Eventually, the expansion to this area became imperialistic. Pearl Harbor, on the island of Oahu, offered one of the most attractive natural bases in the Pacific. Soon other Americans followed to become sugar planters and to establish profitable businesses. Americans were busy building huge plantations, warehouses, railroads, dry-docks, banks, hotels, and stores. They soon dominated the island's economy, and they were able to influence its government as well. Americans created and controlled Hawaii's legislature and cabinet, and they limited the power of the native king. As the century began to come to a close, disputes arose between the Kanaka and those of foreign descent. "Hawaii for Hawaiians" became the slogan of people who sought to restore the traditional ways of the kingdom. Others called for the annexation of Hawaii by the United States. Annexation would eliminate the recent trade restrictions on sugar and revive the island's faltering economy. The imperialistic was taking over the islands.
Since 1840 the Hawaiian Islands have been an escape to a tropical paradise for millions of tourists. People all over the world encounter alluring, romanticized pictures of Hawai'i's lush, tropical vegetation, exotic animals, beautiful beaches, crystal clear water, and fantastical women. This is the Hawai'i tourists know. This is the Hawai’i they visit. However, this Hawai'i is a state of mind, a corporate-produced image existing on the surface. More precisely, it is an aftermath of relentless colonization of the islands' native inhabitants by the United States. These native Hawaiians experience a completely different Hawai'i from the paradise tourists enjoy. No one makes this as clear as Haunani-Kay Trask, a native Hawaiian author. In her book, From a Native Daughter: Colonialism and Sovereignty in Hawai'i and through her poetry in Light in the Crevice Never Seen, Trask provides an intimate account of the tourist industry's impact on native Hawaiian culture. She presents a negative perspective of the violence, pollution, commercial development, and cultural exploitation produced by the tourist industry. Trask unveils the cruel reality of suffering and struggling through a native Hawaiian discourse. Most of the world is unaware of this.
...se having more land naturally meant having more space for the immigrants and new opportunities. When business expanded, it meant having more wealth for the business owner. After the annexation of Hawaii, the natural resources were enjoyed by both America and Hawaii. Despite the fact that Hawaii was annexed during the war with Spain as a strategic move, America took great care in the expansion of the island (Thurston 1897).
“If all of this seems long ago and far away, it is worth remembering that the past is never past.” (Faulkner cited in Ellison, P.274)
The Overthrow stripped Hawaiians of political power and independence. Though Liliuokalani and President Cleveland attempted to stop Lorrin Thurston, Sanford B. Dole, and the provisional government, Queen Liliuokalani was not reinstated to the throne and nothing could be done without endangering innocent Hawaiians. The economic hopes of American businessmen and the Committee of Safety did not immediately occur because annexation was delayed. The Overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy at the hands of American businessmen was unfair and is still grieved by Hawaiians today.
...ature consisted of a council of chiefs and an elected house of representatives. In 1842, the Hawaiian islands were seen as an independent government. Sugar production was Hawaii’s largest buissiness. Tons of sugar was grown in Hawaii. Many of the Hawaiians worked on the sugar farms. Sugar was sold to the United States and large amounts of money flowed into Hawaii. Hawaii’s economy grew and banks were built. Annexation America’s main goal was to overthrow monarchy and Annex Hawaii as the 50th state. In 1887, the Americans forced king Kalakaua to sign a new constitutions that lessened the king’s powers and limited the rights of native Hawaiians to hold office. After Kalakaua’s death, Queen Liliuokalani ruled Hawaii. She was stubborn and wanted Hawaiian independence. But the Americans took over the government and ended monarchy and set up their own government. They put up the American flag where the Hawaiian flag originally flew. So, in other words, Hawaii was stolen from its original owners. Defenseless, Hawaii couldn’t do anything about United States’ control. Hawaii was then Annexed to the United states in 1898.
One of the political impact was the Hawaiians ended up losing land because the couldn’t meet the deadline and couldn’t pay up the taxes to keep the land. All the foreigners had money when they came and the Hawaiians always shared land and never believed in owning land. Only the Hawaiians with no land were able to use a part of land set aside for them but, if they did own land then the Hawaiians with land couldn't use them. Most of their land had an poor environment which meant there was no fire wood, and freshwater streams and other places to gather